BWW Q&A: Isa Venere Talks The Cottage at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

In The Cottage a woman decides to expose her latest affair to both her husband—and her lover's wife. As secrets unravel and passions collide, the meaning of love, identity, and marriage are all thrown into question, and served in a way only the British can serve it: with tea. With shocking plot twists, scandalous reveals, and razor-sharp humor, The Cottage is a deliciously funny hit comedy where no one’s secrets are safe. 

The Cottage cast includes Andrea San Miguel (The Thanksgiving Play, Steppenwolf) as Sylvia, returning fan favorites Jordan Coughtry (Dial M for Murder, The Rep) as Beau and Isa Venere (Athena, The Rep) as Dierdre, along with St Louis native Jack Dryden (A Christmas Carol, Trinity Rep) as Clarke,  and newcomers Jihan Haddad (Hamlet, Alabama Shakespeare Festival) as Marjorie and Andrés Enriquez (Big Fish, Marriott Theater) as Richard.

The Cottage is directed by Risa Brainin who returns to The Rep after directing the sensational To Kill a Mockingbird.  Joining her on the design team is set designer Robert Mark Morgan (The Roommate, The Rep), Costume Designer Renee Garcia (Athena, The Rep), lighting designer Michael Klaers (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Rep), sound designer Amanda Werre (Dial M for Murder, The Rep) and stage manager Evangeline Rose Whitlock.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis kicks off the 2025/26 Season with the sharp-witted fresh comedy The Cottage by Sandy Rustin, the playwright of Clue, where an outrageously roaring 20s romp will have you laughing from start to finish.  Performances run through September 28th, 2025 at the Loretto-Hilton Center on the campus of Webster University. 

For more information and tickets, please visit repstl.org.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) is the region’s premiere theatre for compelling, award-winning theatrical experiences that entertain, engage, and illuminate audiences’ shared humanity. Founded in 1966, for more than five decades The Rep has sustained and built upon its commitment to artistic excellence by creating, developing, and curating adventurous new works and beloved classics from the most exciting emerging and established American voices. The Rep builds bridges within the St. Louis community and beyond by offering productions that allow audiences to see themselves and the stories that matter to them represented on stage, through the organization’s robust community engagement programs, and across its educational initiatives.

Can you share more about your character Dierdre in The Cottage and how she fits into the narrative?

Dierdre is a young, naive romantic with a mysterious background and an optimistic attitude. Though she seems like a classic "ditz," she actually proves to be quite wise during her arc through the play. When we meet her, she has just divorced her husband, packed up her things and left him for the "love of her life," Beau with the intention of marrying him. She then reveals some information about her now ex-husband that sets off a series of chaos.

How do you relate to your character Dierdre?

I think I really relate to her journey of self-assuredness. As we learn more about her past, we see that she has come from circumstances that stifled and limited her. Yet her entrance in this play starts off with a major, life-altering decision she made to change that. I really admire how she maintains conviction for the things she wants, even when it feels very uncertain or scary.

How have you prepared for this role and how does it differ from your past roles?

I tried to get off-book as soon as possible, as did my fellow actors. It felt almost impossible to do a play this physical with a script in hand. Speaking of its physicality, I worked with our fantastic fight choreographer Paul Steger on Dierdre's many trips and falls, how to make them funny but also safe and repeatable. I think Dierdre is such a fun challenge in creating realistic yet suddenly evolving physical characteristics between the two acts.

Given the sharp-witted nature of the play, how do you approach delivering the humor in your performance?

This is my first time doing a farce (finally!) and it asks for so much specificity, focus. To me, it feels closer to choreography at times than typical blocking for a play. Timing the lines and being precise about movement quite literally makes or breaks a joke. With this being an ensemble piece, you also need to maintain a level of outside awareness for your fellow actors, making sure you aren't stepping on a moment or messing with the set up for someone else's punchline. I will say, this is some of the most fun I have had in a rehearsal room, it's been great.

What is it like working with director Risa Brainin on The Cottage?

Working with Risa Braining has been a dream, a hoot, and such a wonderful learning experience. I admire Risa's work so much, how determined she is to give us her all for every moment of rehearsal we have. She has this amazing comedic eye where she can pinpoint the problem and solution for why/how a moment is not working. Risa, along with the entire production team and cast, created a room that felt so uplifting and collaborative. I always feel like I have an ensemble around me, on stage and off.

Can you share a favorite moment or scene you have in The Cottage without giving too much away?

There is a moment where one of the characters suddenly has an... unexpected bodily surprise? Really trying to not give too much away here. All of the actors are on-stage together at that point, each of us ad-libbing, performing physical comedy, prop are thrown around, its utter comedic chaos. It's usually when I hear the audience laugh the hardest during the show. I look forward to it every night.

Why must audiences come and see the show?

Why must audiences come and see the show?