The Theater at Monmouth’s production of “Enchanted April” will be staged at 7:30 p.m.; additional performance date 7:30 p.m. July 28, Aug. 8, 11 and 16; 1 p.m. July 29, Aug. 1 and 14 at Cumston Hall, 796 Main St. in Monmouth .
Elizabeth Von Arnim’s resplendent 1920s novel comes to life on stage in this Tony Award-nominated play by Matthew Barber.
Feeling lost in the shadows of marriage and post-WWI society, two London housewives rent a villa in Italy for a ladies-only holiday, reluctantly recruiting a pair of difficult upper-class women to share the expense and experience. Under the Mediterranean sun, the women clash, bond and bloom, ultimately finding their lost selves in the garden of earthly delights.
The enticement of an enchanting Italian holiday captivates the hearts of two British housewives on a drizzly London afternoon in 1922, and fills their imaginations with wisteria and sunshine. By the time they arrive at their Mediterranean villa, an aging matron and a young socialite have joined their quest for something more. The gardens, sea, cinnamon and pasta are just the beginning of the transformation they discover.
Elizabeth von Armin wrote “Enchanted April” while on a month-long vacation in Italy. Adapted first for the stage in 1925 and for film in 1935, von Arnim’s novel was also the basis for the popular 1992 film. This stage play based on the novel was originally produced in 2000 and on Broadway in 2003 with Molly Ringwald as Rose Arnott.
Director Kate Bergstrom was drawn to “Enchanted April” because of its focus on “an unlikely group of women who are thrown together and learn to support one another in an unbearable time by calling on the enchantment within.” While this is a play featuring characters with marital issues and those in search of a grand romance, it is most importantly about the power of women bonding and growing together.
“Enchanted April” features James Noel Hoban as Mellersh; Janis Stevens as Mrs. Graves; KP Powell as Anthony Wilding; Ryan Broussard as Frederick; Katie Croyle as Lady Caroline; Amber McNew as Lotty; Bibi Mama as Rose; and Maureen Butler as Costanza. Set design by Brittany Vasta, costume design by Elizabeth Rocha, lighting design by Jennifer Fok, and sound design by Rew Tippin.
Tickets cost $34 for adults, $29 for senior citizens, and $20 for children. Group discounts are available.
For more information, email boxoffice@theateratmonmouth.org, call 933-9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.
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