Sept. 11, 2014
Don’t Dress for Dinner is first show on Venice Theatre’s ‘14-‘15 MainStage menu
This farcical, frenetic case of mistaken identity will leave audiences giddy with laughter
(Venice, Florida) Venice Theatre opens its 2014-2015 MainStage season with Marc Camoletti’s French comedy, Don’t Dress for Dinner. This “energetic, smart and funny show” (Chicago Critic) opens Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014. Performances are at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $28 for adults, $13-$15 for students and are on sale now at the theatre’s box office, online at www.venicestage.com or by phone at 941-488-1115.
Don’t Dress for Dinner is a follow-up to Camoletti’s other well-known farce Boeing Boeing which Venice Theatre produced last January. In “Dinner” we find the former swinging bachelor, Bernard (portrayed this time by Jeremy Guerrero); married but still up to his woman-juggling tricks. His long-time friend Robert (Matt McClure) is back for a visit only to get drawn in to Bernard’s antics again.
With his wife (Natalia Mock) on her way out of town, Bernard is planning a romantic weekend with his chic Parisian mistress in his stylish converted French farmhouse. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook to prepare gourmet delights and has invited the unsuspecting Robert along to provide the alibi. As hidden identities and outrageous infidelities are exposed, an evening of hilarious confusion ensues. Bernard and Robert, with help from the put-upon cook, improvise at breakneck speed to keep things from unraveling.
Critics praised a recent Chicago production for its “crackerjack” ensemble and identified Camoletti as the best playwright of his genre. The Chicago Tribune said, “…you do not have to suspend your intelligence. The late Camoletti – who also wrote ‘Boeing Boeing’, revived last season on Broadway to critical acclaim, wrote classy parodies of upper-middle-class lies and deceits …”
James Alexander Bond directs a cast of six experienced actors. Guerrero, McClure and Mock are joined by Liz Pascoe as Suzette the cook (if reviews of other productions are any indication, she might steal the show), Becky Pokorny as Bernard’s mistress, and Daniel J. Cavanagh as Suzette’s confused, jealous and physically imposing husband.
Tickets for Don’t Dress for Dinner and all Venice Theatre shows and events through June 2015 are available at the box office at 941-488-1115 or online at www.venicestage.com. Venice Theatre is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. on the island in Venice. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and one hour before all performances.
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Don’t Dress for Dinner
By Marc Camoletti
Adapted by Robin Hawdon
Production Team
Director – James Alexander Bond
Stage Manager – Nancy Reynolds
Technical Director – John Michael Andzulis
Scenic Designer – David Lynn Jones
Costume Designer – Stephanie Gift
Lighting Designer – David Castaneda
Sound Designer – Dorian Boyd
Cast
Bernard – Jeremy Guerrero
Robert – Matt McClure
George – Daniel J. Cavanagh
Suzette – Liz Pascoe
Suzanne – Becky Pokorny
Jacqueline – Natalia Mock
Attached photos (CREDIT: Renee McVety)
- Left to Right: Matt McClure, Liz Pascoe and Jeremy Guerrero
- Left to Right: Natalia Mock, Jeremy Guerrero, Matt McClure and Liz Pascoe
- Left to Right: Matt McClure, Jeremy Guerrero, Daniel J. Cavanagh, Liz Pascoe and Natalia Mock
140 W. Tampa Ave
Venice, FL 34285
Tickets: 941-488-1115
Venice Theatre’s mission is making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The second-largest out of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, it is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave .on the island in Venice, FL. Its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events. Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations”, Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre has a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults.
