One of the funniest plays I have ever seen, and a tour de force from the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company! Private Lives has just ended its run, and played Noel Coward to the hilt.
I somehow had managed not to realized that Jeremy Dubin and Kelly Mengelkoch, the stars, and long-time Ensemble members at CincyShakes, are married to each other. I did note that the kissing seemed to be more than just acting.
Elyot and Amanda were married once, fought like crazy, sensibly got divorced, and then each married other folk. Imagine their surprise when, on the adjoining balconies of their honeymoon suites with new partners, they re-discover each other.
After preview loving and fighting, they run off together. And continue to love and fight. This is some of the most vicious language and real-life fighting you will ever see on stage. Plus a lot of booze. And yet hysterically funny. When their dumped spouses walk in on them, it only gets worse. And the two dumped folk start to fight, while the dumpers pick up their suitcases and head out the door.
Very funny. And I’m sure all of us in the audience were mentally offering them lots of advice at crucial points.