BWW Previews: UD REP ENSEMBLE 2nd SEASON

The UD Rep Ensemble, renown for its treatment of theatre classics, is in their sweet spot with these 3 offerings to end the '17-'18 season. Get to your seat a bit early. Peruse the bios of the Creative Crew. Aisle Say does not know how PAD (Producing Artistic Director) Sandy Robbins does it, but his magic ensnares Tony Award winners in many categories.

When I extol the excellence of Rep Ensemble to my friends, so many have not attended any of their magnificent productions. Do yourself a favor. Go to one of these 3 shows. It will become a staple of your theatre-going experience.

DIAL "M" FOR MURDER - Jan 18 - Feb 4

Hitchcock's 1953 movie starred Ray Milland, Robert Cummings and the preternaturally breathtaking Grace Kelly. Money was Tony's motive for marrying Margot, and now it's his motive for having her murdered. He blackmails an Old Acquaintance, arranges an iron-clad alibi, and creates the perfect crime...until the murderer becomes the murdered. With tables turned, Tony will stop at nothing to ensure Margot is now convicted of the crime. Called a "holiday for whodunit fans" and the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller, this suspenseful, psychological cat and mouse game will have you on the edge of your seat until the curtain falls.

A chillingly sinister thriller. The movie was filmed in 3-D with the technology that was available at the time, and is often considered one of the greatest 3D films ever made. That innovation quickly lost its luster.

A FLEA IN HER EAR - Mar 1 - Mar 18

Farce is the genre that REP does best. If any saw their two Moliere productions, THE IMAGINARY INVALID and TARTUFFE, you will understand. It was written in 1907 by Georges Feydeau, at the height of the Belle Epoque. The 1968 film included Rex Harrison and Louis Jourdan.
Raymonde suspects her husband, Victor, of infidelity and turns to her best friend to help her gain proof. Concocting a plan based on a perfumed letter and a titillating invitation, they plan to entrap him at a seedy hotel. And that's where the fun begins. This bawdy bedroom farce swirls with confused identities, revolving beds, a great many doors, and the unfortunate fact that the tipsy hotel porter is the exact double of Victor. Widely regarded as one of the funniest farces ever written, you won't want to miss the non-stop hilarity!

A co-production with Connecticut's Westport Country Playhouse.

TWELFTH NIGHT - Apr 19 - May 6

Shakespeare's classic comedy of mistaken identity and unrequited love. Viola dresses as a man after being shipwrecked in the strange, new land of Illyria. But things get confusing when she falls for her new boss and her boss's crush falls in love with her. Shakespeare's masterpiece reminds us that that love makes fools of us all.

This co-production with The Acting Company production will premiere at the REP and then transfer to New York City's Polonsky Shakespeare Center.

Box office opens Jan 2. Rep.udel.edu 302.831.2204