Curtsey - A Royal Comedy at Navesink Library Theatre

WORLD PREMIERE

CURTSEY – A Royal Comedy

by David J. V. Meenan

Tea Is Served. Manners Are Optional. Panic Is Inevitable.

Polite society takes a spectacular tumble in CURTSEY – A Royal Comedy, a fast, fizzy period farce set in the spring of 1939 at the impeccably proper — and wildly unprepared — Woman’s Club of Red Bank, New Jersey.

From the delightfully twisted mind behind Senior Moments – Big Beaver and the New York award-winning Camp, A New Musical, comes David J.V. Meenan’s newest original romp — inspired by actual events and featuring the unbelievable (but true!) story of what happened when the King and Queen of England visited the small town of Red Bank, New Jersey.

Freshly graduated and newly returned home, Bette English (Emily Ommerborn) expects a quiet reintegration into small-town life. Instead, she walks straight into a battlefield of starched linens, delicately balanced teacups, and women who absolutely believe they are better than everyone else in the room.

She is immediately swept into the orbit of a tightly wound sisterhood of club members led by club president Shirley Wyndham (David J. V. Meenan), a woman of unquestioned authority and unshakable confidence, and Vice President Roberta Foster (Maureen Blair), whose ambition is matched only by her impatience. As the women prepare an English tea for Abigail Lippincott (Laura McDonough) to celebrate the engagement of her daughter, Flora (Campbell Smith), to the well-to-do Pierce Davis the 3rd, appearances are everything — and everyone knows exactly where everyone else falls short.

When word of a possible royal visit hits the room, social order collapses faster than a poorly balanced tea tray. Old rivalries resurface, alliances form on the fly, and suddenly every woman believes she is the obvious choice to represent Red Bank to the Crown.

Eventually, the lace gloves come off — politely, of course. Accents are mangled, teacups rattle, and etiquette lessons taught by the formidable Madame Mabel (Louise Waterman) turn cutthroat. Competitive curtsying reaches alarming levels as status anxiety skyrockets, and Bette finds herself trapped between generations of expectations and the realization that, in a room full of women desperate to impress, being oneself may be the most rebellious act of all.

Packed with razor-sharp dialogue, physical comedy, and unapologetic gossip, CURTSEY – A Royal Comedy skewers small-town politics, social climbing, and the eternal fear of not measuring up — all while celebrating ambition, friendship, and the delicious chaos that erupts when appearances matter just a little too much.

Featuring an ensemble cast including:

• Bette English – Emily Ommerborn
• Ethel English – Susan T. Bloir
• Catherine – Kamirah Owens
• Stanley – Jordan Blake
• Shirley Wyndham – David J. V. Meenan
• Roberta Foster – Maureen Blair
• Abigail Lippincott – Laura McDonough
• Flora Lippincott – Campbell Smith
• Minnie – Kelly Cibrian
• Lillian – Cheryl Gaudette
• Thelma – Linda Jaffrey
• Frank – Mariano DiFabio
• Madame Mabel – Louise Waterman
• Mayor Charles R. English – Jack Cibrian

Directed by: Maximilian Oster
Costumes & Wig Design: William Goodman
Set Design: Rebecca Bell

CURTSEY – A Royal Comedy is a crowd-pleasing, laugh-out-loud romp with modern bite, vintage flair, and just enough impropriety to make polite society very uncomfortable.

Venue:
The Navesink Library Theatre
149 Monmouth Ave, Navesink, NJ 07716

Performance Dates:

• Saturday, February 21 – 1:00pm & 7:00pm
• Sunday, February 22 – 1:00pm
• Friday, February 27 – 7:00pm
• Saturday, February 28 – 1:00pm & 7:00pm
• Sunday, March 1 – 1:00pm

Tickets & Information:
www.viptheatricals.org | 732-530-1753

Come for the tea. Stay for the power struggle. Try not to spill anything.