MRS. MANNERLY Opens 1/26 at Arvada Center

The Arvada Center will begin the New Year with Jeffrey Hatcher's hilarious one-act comedy Mrs. Mannerly directed by Edith Weiss. Mrs. Mannerly will run in the intimate Black Box Theatre January 26 - February 21, 2016. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Talkbacks will be offered Friday, February 5 after the 7:30 p.m. performance, and Wednesday, February 10 after the 1:00 p.m. performance. Please note - this production contains some mature language. To purchase tickets and for additional information go to https://arvadacenter.org/on-stage/mrs-mannerly-2016 or call 720-898-7200. The Arvada Center is located at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. and provides free parking for all of its patrons.

Inspired by hilarious memories of a 1967 childhood etiquette class, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher conjures up the world of a ten-year-old studying manners. Young Jeffrey is a misfit little boy who wants nothing more than to be good at something, and he finds his unlikely niche at etiquette school. Mrs. Mannerly is a demanding teacher with a dedication to Emily Post, and no student in her thirty-six years of etiquette classes has achieved a perfect score. When he discovers her mysterious past, Young Jeffrey leverages what he knows so he can be the first to attain the highest score. The plot mimics stories by humorists like David Sedaris and is a delicious, comic tale about coming-of-age in a simpler time.

Mrs. Mannerly stars Leslie O'Carroll as Mrs. Mannerly and Graham Ward as her dutiful student, Jeffrey. In addition to director, Edith Weiss, the creative team includes Brian Mallgrave (scenic design), Samantha Saucedo (costume design), Jon Olson (light design), Morgan McCauley (sound design), Meghan Markiewicz (props mistress), and Megan O'Connor (wig and makeup design).

The Arvada Center will offer a Mrs. Mannerly Theatre Salon series facilitated by Sasha Fisher, recipient of London's Time Out Critics' Choice Award for her work in classical theatre. The four-week salon will explore the script of Jeffrey Hatcher's Mrs. Mannerly, including scene study, character development and the overall themes and objectives. The course runs four consecutive Wednesday evenings January 27 - February 17, and will include a visit from the directing staff and/or actors performing in the production of Mrs. Mannerly and attendance at the evening performance on February 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tuition is $60 plus one ticket to Mrs. Mannerly on February 10 ($26) for a total cost of $86. To register, call the Box Office at 720-898-7200.