Review: 'Elyot and Amanda: All Alone' by Playhouse on Park

WEST HARTFORD, CT - Playhouse on Park continues Season 12 with an adaptation of Noel Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES. A reworked version of the second act of the classic play is entitled ELYOT AND AMANDA: ALL ALONE. The virtual performance by Veanne Cox and , the two actors who adapted the work specifically for Playhouse on Park, runs through Feb. 28, 2021.

The actors/adapters feel that the second act of Coward’s play “speaks to us in a new way with [the formerly married couple] Elyot and Amanda sequestered from the outside world, and finding a lot of time to fill up together.” Sound familiar? In this sometimes funny and sometimes moving adaptation, these two lovers “grapple with hope and fear, memory and desire, song and dance, and love and hate in equal measure.”

The original PRIVATE LIVES, a comedy of manners in three acts, was written in 1930 by the actor/playwright/director Noel Coward (1899-1973.) It tells the story of a divorced couple who make the unlikely discovery while honeymooning with their new spouses that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same French hotel. Despite the fact that the two have had a perpetually stormy relationship, they realize that they still have some feelings for each other. Mr. Coward wrote one of his most popular songs, "Some Day I'll Find You," especially for this play. Official website of Noël Coward – www.noelcoward.com.

The adapting team had to secure permission from The Noël Coward Archive Trust to remove all references to the current partners of ELYOT AND AMANDA, Victor and Sibyl respectively. It took a while, but as I watched this piece, I remembered that I had actually seen a performance of PRIVATE LIVES. This frame of reference was helpful, but not absolutely necessary to appreciate the adaptation. While the original work was less than memorable for me, I did like the ingenuity of this adaptation that made it especially appropriate for our time.

Disclaimer: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and rules set forth by Actors Equity, this play was filmed in the actors’ place of quarantine. No one else was present during the filming.

Equity member EZRA BARNES, an actor, director and teacher, plays Elyot brilliantly; he is a joy to watch. In the behind the scenes video at the end of the performance, he shares that he transposed one of the songs he plays on the piano in his apartment so that it would be in a better key for his castmate.

At Playhouse on Park, he played John Barrymore in I HATE HAMLET, and directed the excellent DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (which won a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Direction) and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. Mr. Barnes runs Brooklyn’s Young Actors Workshop.

VEANNE COX, an Equity member as well, brings Amanda to life with plenty of energy. Ms. Cox got the idea for this adaptation from a dream she had in which she and Mr. Barnes played these two characters with Victor and Sibyl portrayed by sock puppets; thankfully the sock puppets do not appear in the adaptation written by the duo. Last year, she was seen in 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel;’ her Broadway credits include; AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, CAROLINE OR CHANGE, COMPANY, THE DINNER PARTY and more.

The production was directed by and was produced by Playhouse Theatre Group, Inc. The music director was Colin Britt, and one of my favorite parts of this adaptation was Mr. Barnes at his piano, with charming choreography by Darlene Zoller. The latter also served as costume designer. The vocal coach for Mr. Barnes was Christopher Preston Thompson. The sound design by Lucas Clopton was mostly easy to hear, although I plugged in my earbuds to ensure that I didn’t miss any of the lines.

The contemporary props designed by Eileen Oconnor included a surgical mask, hand sanitizer, in addition to the red roses for throwing, the jigsaw puzzle for the top of the piano and bottles of brandy. The paintings that transformed the apartment of Mr. Barnes into the Paris apartment of Amanda were loaned by Judith Barnes, John Blee and Bertha Koplan.

Hartley Abdekalimi was in charge of the impressive video production as the remote filming director. The technical director was Johann Fitzpatrick, with Alex Zelinski as the remote cinematographer. Post production was done by Kinetic Media.

Playhouse on Park reminds us that Valentine’s Day is always complicated. Add in some songs and a pandemic and you have the makings of a perfect Date Night. The play runs 50 minutes, including the add-ons before and after the performance; be sure to watch both.

Discounted Ticket Offer: Artists of any kind who are out of work due to Covid-19 can purchase $10 tickets with the code C-ARTIST2021 (please note there will be only 200 reduced price tickets available). This was made possible by the support of two generous donors.

Single Ticket Buyers may purchase stream-at-home tickets for $20 per stream. Upon purchasing a ticket, you will receive a code to access the stream. The code is intended for the purchaser only. You will be able to access the film from February 10th - 28th only. Note: Individual tickets for the stream of this production are purchased through Showtix4U.com. [Buy Tickets]

Subscribers have two options; they will be contacted via email by our Box Office to see which option works best for them, either streaming the production online or by scheduling an appointment to come to the Playhouse between February 10 - February 28, and watch it on their screen. Only people in the subscriber’s quarantine bubble can purchase a ticket or use their subscription ticket to attend with them.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions in a normal year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the CCC Facebook page.