Switchyard Theatre Company Presents PRESENT LAUGHTER Next Month

Switchyard Theatre Company's second season in the Triangle continues with a diversity-infused twist on a traditional British farce. Noel Coward's 1939 comedy Present Laughter follows egocentric actor Garry Essendine, his quirky entourage and his unhinged followers, through a series of crises as he prepares for a world tour and confronts the reality of impending middle age.

Present Laughter - a Shakespearian reference urging characters to "seize the day" - is regarded as one of Coward's definitive works. Its tremendously flawed characters illustrate not only the fanciful world of theater in the 1930s, but also a fast-paced look at the human condition as a whole. Area newcomer John Frazier plays Garry, with local comedy writer Tania Kelly as his acerbic secretary and foil Monica, and Shana Fisher as his not-quite-ex-wife Liz. His rabid fans include socialite starlet Daphne (Dani Coan, whose one-woman show premiered at TheatreFest in June) and aspiring intellectual playwright Roland (recent NCCU graduate Jamin Wade in his professional debut). Rounding out the cast are Joy Bryant, Naveed Moeed, Gerald Rubin, Stephanie Spohrer, Hayden Tyler, and Cameron Waters.

This production instills even greater relevance to the text by featuring local BIPOC actors in most of the lead and supporting roles. Director Nadia Bodie-Smith, Assistant Professor of Theatre at NC Central University, sees the nontraditional casting choices as a shared responsibility among the cast and the production team. "It is a concentrated goal to challenge the status quo for equity and inclusion on the creative stage," says Bodie-Smith. "This helps to bridge the divide on the stage and in our communities as well." STC is proud to collaborate with the Department of Theatre at NCCU, whose students assist behind the scenes as managers and designers, gaining professional experience. The NCCU Theatre Department is loaning a number of props and costumes, as well as some larger rehearsal spaces.

Performances run from February 23rd thru March 5th at the PSI Theatre at the Durham Arts Council, 120 Morris St., Durham NC 27701. Tickets for all performances are $25 general admission, $20 for seniors and $10 for students, with a 10% discount for previous ticket purchasers and email list subscribers. Tickets are available online at https://switchyard.ticketleap.com/.

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