FIRST LOOK: A PHOENIX TOO FREQUENT at Greystone Mansion Tonight 8/14

Melanie MacQueen directs actors of Theatre 40 in a staged reading of A Phoenix Too Frequent, written by Christopher Fry in 1946. This event is part of Classics in the Courtyard, a 20-year-old series presented in the inner courtyard of historic Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills. The cast includes Jennifer Laks, Jonathan Medina and LeeAnn Rowe.

The story: Tegeus, a handsome young officer in the Roman army, leaves his post--where he is guarding the dead bodies of criminals to prevent their families from burying them--to investigate the voices he hears coming from a nearby mausoleum. The voices are those of two women--the lady Dynamene and her servant Doto, who have entombed themselves with the corpse of Dynamene's husband Virilius, an imperial bureaucrat. The women are starving themselves to death so they may accompany Virilius across the River Styx to the land of the dead.

Though Dynamene at first mistakes Tegeus for a messenger from Hades, the soldier soon revives the women's spirits with his pretty eyes, well-cut uniform, and handy bottle of wine. Doto makes her move first, but when Tegeus fails to respond she settles for the liquor and the sleep it brings; then Tegeus begins to woo the beautiful and bereaved Dynamene.

A PHOENIX TOO FREQUENT staged reading of a play by Christopher Fry is directed by Melanie MacQueen, and presented by the City of Beverly Hills and Theatre 40 at Greystone Mansion, 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, on Sunday, August 14, 2016. Self-guided tours of the Greystone Mansion's first floor are from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. with the play reading at 6:00 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served. Tickets: $15. Students and seniors: $12. Reservations are suggested, at www.beverlyhills.org/BHRegOnline. Information: (310) 285-6830.

About Greystone Mansion: Completed in 1928 by oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny, Greystone Mansion & Gardens is a Beverly Hills and Los Angeles treasure. The City of Beverly Hills purchased the property in 1965, and in 1971 the entire 18.3-acre site was formally dedicated as a public park. Greystone was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and in 2014 was designated Beverly Hills Local Historic Landmark No. 4.

Greystone Mansion & Gardens is a popular event site for weddings, corporate events, photo shoots, meetings and other private functions. Long an iconic location for motion picture and television shoots, Greystone has been featured in dozens of films, including The Big Lebowski, Spider-Man, The Social Network, and There Will Be Blood.

Greystone Mansion & Gardens: The Doheny Estate is a hidden gem tucked away in the hills. The grounds are open daily for visitors to enjoy, but the mansion is only open during special programs such as A Phoenix Too Frequent. So order your tickets N