Curtain Call Performing Arts' Comedy NOISES OFF Closes This Weekend, 10/25-26
By: Courtnie Mele
Noises Off, Curtain Call Performing Arts' (CCPA) critically acclaimed stage comedy, is set to close this weekend with shows on Friday and Saturday October 25 and 26 at 8PM respectively, at the Curtain Call Performing Arts Theatre (formerly California Conservatory Theatre, CCT), in downtown San Leandro. Audiences and critics agree the show is an "ambitious and memorably hilarious hit," as expressed by Julie Grabowski of the Tri City Voice newspaper. Inside the intimate 67-seat theatre crowds have laughed the night away since September 27 and now 12 shows into the 14 show run, on Saturday night the curtain will close on this cast of seasoned Bay Area actors.
Written in 1982 by the English playwright Michael Frayn, Noises Off is often considered the funniest of modern comedies. The show is a farce within a face which takes the clichés of the genre and shakes them up in a wild comic blender into a hilarious melee of compromising situations and eccentric characters, in the process creating something truly brilliant and unique. Curtain Call's production is directed by local film and stage veteran, Erik Scanlon and features a cast of accomplished Bay Area actors that have brought their own unique persona to the stage in the many off-the-wall situations they encounter in the show. Noises Off closes Curtain Call's memorable fourth season, which saw a steampunked summer 2012 production of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella nominated for ten (10) BroadwayWorld.com San Francisco awards including Best Musical. The company's summer production of Anything Goes was critically acclaimed and drew sold out houses with audiences thrilled by the rich choreography and vibrant cast of the large show in the intimate space. "Our fourth season has been a fantastic ride for all of us. We have grown so much and I could not think of a better way to close out the season than with this hilarious stage comedy. Also, we are thrilled to have such a talented and funny cast," explained Andrea Gorham, CCPA Founding Artistic Director. "Pushing the limits of the theatre continues to be our goal, and our audiences are enjoying the ride." Noises Off is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. CCPA's fall production is directed by Erik Scanlon, and stars an ensemble cast of Kim Doppe at Dotty Otley, Kendall Tieck as Lloyd Dallas, Josh Milbourne as Garry Lejeune, Lauren Rosi as Brooke Ashton, Caroline Schneider as Poppy Norton-Taylor, Justin DuPuis as Frederick Fellows, Anne Milbourne as BeLinda Blair, Lavale-William Davis as Tim Allgood, and Bruce Kaplan as Selsdon Mowbray. The fall main stage production closes this weekend with shows at 8PM Friday and Saturday October 25 and 26 at the Curtain Call Performing Arts Theatre (formerly California Conservatory Theatre), 999 East 14th St., San Leandro, CA 94577. Tickets are $25 Adult General Admission and $22 for Student/Senior. A special $10-off adult price tickets "Pack the House Promotion" is available for online ticket sales only via the CCPA website. For tickets and information, visit www.curtaincallperformingarts.org or call (510) 909-9516. The Vision of CCPA is to ensure that performance-based arts are accessible to everyone who desires to participate or attend performances by keeping both ticket prices low and class/workshop tuition affordable.