The Man Who Came to Dinner is one of my favorite comedic plays, so I was excited to have this chance to direct it. We've approached this show as a classic "living room comedy." It's simply staged, in a unit set with few set changes or major production elements that happen throughout the piece, in order to put the focus squarely on the larger-than-life characters and the hilarious situations they get themselves into, rather than the focus being on things like technical spectacle, like it might be in other types of productions. Making language updates such as this, where possible, help us get the play's point across more clearly to a modern audience. For instance, modern audiences may not recognize the name "Philo Vance," but they likely know who Sherlock Holmes is. We did cut out a few lines that didn't make sense based on our staging, and we chose to update some of the language here and there, so that the humor would land more effectively with a modern audience who may not be as familiar with some of the play's dated cultural references. This production of The Man Who Came to Dinner was approached fairly traditionally, so people who are familiar with the script or other productions of it will have a pretty good idea of what to expect with this comedic living room play. How will everything turn out for this zany cast of characters? Will Maggie marry her small-town beau? Will Whiteside ever make it out of the Stanley's living room? Audiences will have to come see the play to find out! How does this production differ from other versions of the story? Meanwhile, when Whiteside's secretary Maggie falls in love with a local newspaper reporter, Whiteside is thrown into a panic at the idea of Maggie leaving her job with him so that she can stay in Mesalia and marry her new love. During the course of the play, Whiteside has a host of quirky visitors and gets himself (and everyone around him) wrapped up in a variety of comedic situations, involving cockroaches, penguins, impersonations, plenty of secrets, and an Egyptian mummy case. Stanley, as he recuperates in their Ohio home following a fall and a broken hip. In the show, ill-tempered celebrity radio personality and writer Sheridan Whiteside finds himself the unexpected house guest of Mr. Inspired by a real-life “ungrateful house guest” experience that Hart once had with journalist, critic, and radio personality Alexander Woollcott, this show satirizes both Hollywood and Middle America of the 1930s and ‘40s. The Man Who Came to Dinner is a witty, madcap three-act comedy by acclaimed playwright duo, George Kaufman and Moss Hart. We spoke to Gingell about the production: What is the show about? “It's a fun show, a period piece, and that we're looking forward to sharing this production with audiences soon,” said the show’s director, Shannon Gingell. He is forced to spend several weeks of recuperation, wreaking havoc and mischief on the lives of everyone he meets, including penguins in the library, in this madcap comedy. A noted radio personality and egotistical tyrant slips and falls on the steps of the Stanley family residence. Haddonfield Plays and Players continues its 2019 season with The Man Who Came To Dinner, opening May 9th.
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