Hay Fever at University of New Orleans

On the heels of the wildly successful Brief Encounter and Private Lives, the Guthrie presents Noël Coward's delightful comedy of manners for the first time. The eccentric Bliss family – Judith, a recently retired actress, David, a self-absorbed novelist, and their two unconventional children – live in a world where reality slides easily into fiction. Upon entering this world, the weekend guests – a proper diplomat, a shy flapper, an athletic boxer and a fashionable sophisticate – are thrown into melodramatic scenes wherein their hosts profess emotions and react to situations that do not really exist. The comedic chaos ends only when the tortured visitors tip-toe out the door. Cleverly constructed and slightly cynical, this entertaining romp will be directed by rising British director Christopher Luscombe.