Review: THE COTTAGE at Loretto-Hilton Center

Roaring laughter meets the roaring twenties in The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ The Cottage. A dramedy in the classic sense, the company’s 59th season starter offers a relentless barrage of scandalous dalliances, double entendres, and mistaken identities.

Sandy Rustin’s play, whose Broadway run in 2023 made the stage world agog, leans heavily into its British aesthetic. Director Risa Brainin gives audiences an over-the-top drawing room farce that takes the mickey out of upper-crust dramas like Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs and hoses it down with a splash of Noel Coward’s waggish love triangles.

Set over the course of one day in 1923, The Cottage is a farce that explores themes of gender roles, social status, romance, and personal discovery.

The production opens with the spirited socialite Sylvia Van Kipness preparing to reveal her scandalous affair with Beau Chumley, whom she meets one night each year for a passionate rendezvous. Much to his chagrin, she wants the real deal. Blinded by her feelings, she sends telegrams to her husband, Clarke, who happens to be Beau’s brother, and his wife, Marjorie, boldly disclosing their affair.

From here, the lurid tension escalates into absurdity as deceit and infidelity are abundantly poured and stirred like sugar in tea. The disarray spirals deeper into wackiness when lost lovers return, an illegitimate pregnancy is discovered, and secret identities are divulged. And this is only act one.

The second act takes the chicanery to another level with the arrival of the mysterious Richard, who may or may not be a murderer, and discoveries about Dierdre, Beau’s most recent lover. As the drama unfolds, the tryst issues become hyperbolic as the visitors to this luxurious home uncover scandal upon scandal, leading to a hilarious climax.

If all of that wasn’t enough, there is also the ever-present specter of Beau and Clarke’s mother, who clearly created childhood trauma in her boys. Although never seen onstage, her portrait, hanging on the wall of the spacious abode, serves as an omniscient onlooker.

Brainin’s production is well paced and filled with acerbic dialogue. Her nonpareil cast is fantastic. Led by Rep newcomer Andrea San Miguel, who shines as Sylvia, the emotional center of this spectacle. Her captivating performance balances the flirtatious with the frustrated, creating a woman who knows what she wants and is tired of playing games.

Joining her is the equally brilliant Jordan Coughtry as Beau, a suave sophisticate who has written the book on cockiness and self-indulgence.  Energetically boorish onstage, his scenes are heavy on the ham and steeped in the snarky. Fortunately his performance digs beneath this goofy veneer to reveal glimpses of a vulnerable and emotionally fragile man. Playing the cad to the hilt, Coughtry buoys his turn here with masterful comedic timing.

Joining them are Jihan Haddad, who sparkles as Marjorie in her inaugural performance with the company. Her portrayal adds a spirit of independence and determination to the character that plays well off of her co-star Jack Dryden, who chews scenery as Clarke. He is sneaky good here. His fidgety and fussy stiff upper lip aspects are the perfect foil for Haddad’s elegant portrayal of his paramour.

Rounding out the ensemble are Isa Venere (seen last year in The Rep’s stellar production of Athena) and Rep newbie Andres Enriquez. Both make the most of their limited stage time with uproarious performances as Dierdre and Richard.

It’s always great to see a cast having the time of their lives onstage. This is especially true with The Cottage, a fantastic farce filled with snickers, snorts, and chortles. However, it should be noted that while the jokes come in rapid bursts, audiences soon discover that beneath all the jesting is a spirit of female empowerment as the play’s three “heroines” push back against spurious assumptions and male tomfoolery.