Hedgerow Opens 11th Annual Ray Cooney Farce Tonight, 7/5

Hedgerow Theatre continues its 11-year summer tradition of Ray Cooney farces with Not Now, Darling, co-written by Cooney and John Chapman, from tonight, July 5 to August 12.

Written in 1967, Not Now, Darling is one of Cooney’s earlier works, and his first collaboration with Chapman, with whom he later teamed on My Giddy Aunt, Move Over Mrs. Markham and There Goes the Bride. It premiered in 1968 in London, where it was a huge hit, smashing box-office records during its three-year run. It played on Broadway in 1970 and was made into a movie in 1973.

Cooney’s plays usually involve mistaken identities, unsuccessful attempts at infidelity, double entendres, and lots of slamming doors, and Not Now, Darling is no exception. Gilbert Bodley, one of the owners of a posh London fur salon has his eye on a young woman, and hopes to make her his Mistress By giving her a mink coat. That’s not as simple as it sounds, because he’s married--and so is she--so he enlists his unwilling business partner in a devious scheme to make it happen. Of course, nothing goes as planned, and each misstep leads to another, resulting in a hilarious whirlwind of confusion, chaos and fun.

The production is directed by Jared Reed, who’s directed the annual Cooney six times before. “Farce is different than regular comedy,” he explained. “In a comedy, you set up a scene or a punchline and it either works or it doesn’t. In a farce, the actors play characters involved in ridiculous situations, but have to act as if it’s all possible.”

For anyone who’s been to a Cooney farce at Hedgerow, there will be some familiar faces and some new ones among the cast. Veterans Zoran Kovcic and Susan Wefel have been in all 11, David Polgar is in his third, and Rebecca Cureton is making her second appearance. Among the new ones is John D. Smitherman, an accomplished singer, actor and playwright. “I was very excited to be able to cast him,” Reed said, “since he’s written and directed farces himself.”

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. There are also Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. on July 18 and August 8.

Adult ticket prices for Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows are $32, Thursday shows are $29, and Wednesday matinees are $25. There is a $3 discount for seniors; tickets for students with valid ID and children under 18 are $10. Previews are $20, and no other discounts apply. For groups of 10 or more, tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors. Prices include all fees and are subject to change.  Also available is a special Flex-Six package of six mix-and-match tickets to any show for $144 for adults or $124 for seniors.  For reservations, call 610-565-4211, or visit www.hedgerowtheatre.org. Hedgerow Theatre, America’s First Repertory Theatre, is at 64 Rose Valley Road, in Rose Valley (near Media).

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