Running now through June 21, 2026, at the Crane Theater, Walking Shadow Theatre Company’s production of Perfect Arrangement finds an effective balance between comedy and drama, using laughter to draw audiences into a story with surprisingly high stakes.
Both author Topher Payne and director Paul Russo offset the seemingly dark and heavy-handed state of affairs at the state department with effective, tongue-in-cheek deftness. The seriousness of the subject matter is no less impactful when filtered through light moments laced with wit that is delivered expertly by Dylan Coonrad as Jim, a teacher, and by Elinor Greenway as Millie, a prototypical 1950s sitcom housewife. There’s more than a little “Lucy” in her portrayal, yet her serious moments carry the requisite credibility.
Sometimes I get to see a very good production of a very good play, and I go home feeling satisfied. As a reviewer, I sometimes have to see that same play again at another theatre with an entirely different cast and an entirely different directorial approach. It’s a bit like the remake of a classic. At first you wonder why it needs to be remade, and then having already seen what you consider the gold star, the outcome is less satisfactory.
Algonquin Arts Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for its winter play, MISERY, by William Goldman based on the novel by Stephen King. The show will run at Algonquin Arts Theatre from February 24 through March 3.
As an actress, I have the pleasure of performing in 'Perfect Arrangement' at Nutley Little Theatre directed by George Seylaz who sat down with me for an interview.
Nutley Little Theatre presents PERFECT ARRANGEMENT by Topher Payne, directed by George Seylaz.
The Nutley Little Theatre will present PERFECT ARRANGEMENT by Topher Payne. The production is directed by George Seylaz and runs from April 8th through the 23rd. Performances are April 8, 9,15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 8:00 PM and April 10, 17, 23 at 2:30 PM.
Topher Payne's Perfect Arrangement will continue The Ensemble Company's 2021 season (its third) at its home at Penguin Point Productions. Perfect Arrangement, which premiered at the Source Festival in Washington, D.C. in 2013, was described by the New York Times for its Off-Broadway premiere as a 'clever canapé of a comedy,' declaring Payne 'a deft and witty writer.'
Ha debuttato al Teatro Pime di Milano il nuovo spettacolo del controverso regista Thomas Centaro (gia conosciuto per spettacoli come Kitch me Licia, Reset, Odissea..un vera Troyata): KIM IL MUSICAL. Un musical inedito che si ispira al genere giapponese Majokko (per intenderci il genere di cui fanno parte gli anime giapponesi come Sailor Moon, Magica Emi, etc…) e prometteva di coinvolgere grandi e piccini.
L'8 marzo debuttera al Teatro Pime di Milano KIM - IL MUSICAL. Abbiamo intervistato Thomas Centaro, il regista e sceneggiatore dello spettacolo, per conoscere meglio questo nuovo inedito.
It starts off like a very funny 1950's sit-com with a gay twist and ends as a devastating plea for respect and self-acceptance.
Due to popular demand, freeFall Theatre Company is extending Perfect Arrangement through March 3. This new play by Atlanta playwright and screenwriter Topher Payne is the story of two couples that come up with a clever plan to stay one step ahead of the Lavender Scare in 1950's Washington, DC.
Everyone has a secret or two stashed away. We hide them for fear of being shamed or in some cases, worse. Shame is solely the product of 'agreed upon' societal 'norms'; if we don't fit into any given box then we have an Achilles heel, something others can use to hurt or destroy us. Mean girls, churches, and government have always been exceptionally good at shaming.
Dezart Performs Continues 11th Season with Perfect Arrangement. Secret Lives set in the midst of the 1950s Red Scare is the focus of thhis dark but witty comic work by Topher Payne
Imagine I Love Lucy with Ricky and Fred sharing a bed and Lucy and Vivian as lesbian lovers with State Department credentials. In a nutshell, that's the recipe for the improbable secret high-wire act brought to life in Topher Payne's darkly comic Perfect Arrangementfrom the award winning Dezart Performs of Palm Springs. Set against the backdrop of the 1950s "Red Scare" and the burgeoning gay rights movement, the play runs January 11 - 20 at thePearl McManus Theater (at the historic Palm Springs Woman's Club / 314 S Cahuilla Road, Downtown Palm Springs) and is directed by Dezart Performs founding artistic director Michael Shaw.
The American Cancer Society will release the second edition of What to Eat During Cancer Treatment on Oct. 1. This new cookbook provides more than 130 simple, easy-to-prepare recipes along with practical advice focused on a cancer patient's specific needs, helping them cope with treatment-related side effects.
The Jeff Awards announced today a total of 115 nominations in 19 categories for the 45th Annual Non-Equity Jeff Awards.
Theatrical Outfit presents the Atlanta professional debut of Perfect Arrangement by local award-winning playwright Topher Payne. Inspired by true stories of McCarthy-era social survival, this bubbly cocktail party-meets-TV sitcom simmers into poignant realism as two closeted couples, one gay and one lesbian, face exposure and a future more gray than Technicolor. Directed by Adam Koplan (artistic director of Flying Carpet Theatre; director of The Outfit's The Dancing Handkerchief) and featuring an all-star Atlanta ensemble - Ann Marie Gideon, Clifton Guterman, Joe Knezevich, Stacy Melich, Courtney Patterson, Kevin Stillwell and Ann Wilson - Perfect Arrangement runs February 22 - March 18, 2018 and continues Theatrical Outfit's 2017- 2018 Season of Character.
Reviewing the comedy's 2015 Off-Broadway production by Primary Stages, THE NEW YORK TIMES called it a clever canap of a comedy...Mr. Payne is a deft and witty writer.' THE NEW YORKER said of it As hiding gets harder, pitch-perfect comedy ensues: slamming doors, strange disguises, preposterous excuses Eventually, the four must decide whether face-saving domestic lies are worth it, or whether ostracism beats living in fear. In our own era of surveillance and paranoia, their mid-century problems don't feel so far away.
Full casting was announced today for Pride Films and Plays' Chicago premiere of PERFECT ARRANGEMENT by Associate Artistic Director Derek Van Barham, who's directing the production. In Topher Payne's comedy, it's 1950, and new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two U.S. State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. There's just one problem: Both Bob and Norma are gay, and have married each other's partners and moved next door to each other as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two "All-American" couples are forced to stare down the closet door.
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