The School for Scandal at Clayton Community Theatre

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

Directed by Heather Sartin, Oct 9-19, 2025

The intrigues of such aptly named characters as Lady Sneerwell, Sir Joseph Surface, Lady Candour, and Sir Benjamin Backbite have amused audiences for more than two centuries. The invention of Irish-born playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan, they unfold, collide, and backfire hilariously in this masterpiece, a play still widely considered the best comedy of manners in English.

Two plots, one involving Sir Oliver Surface and his two nephews, and the other unleashing Lady Sneerwell’s attempts to ensnare the hapless Lady Teazle and others in her designs, converge brilliantly in the screen scene – one of the most famous in all of theatre.

The School for Scandal reveals not only Sheridan’s mastery of stage comedy, but also his flair for witty dialogue and his delight in skewering the pretentious affectation of 1770s London society.

Visually beautiful, linguistically melodious, and shamefully hilarious, it remains one of the most produced of all theatre classics today and a truly enjoyable night of theatre for actor and audience!

Director Heather Sartin’s many CCT successes include William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, performed in July 2024 with an all-female cast, and honored with four Arts for Life Theatre Mask Awards.