The Country Wife, which debuts Feb. 13 at Neely Auditorium at Vanderbilt University, is a Restoration comedy that has been delighting audiences for more than 300 years with its witty language, memorable characters and inventive story.
The play, written by William Wycherley, centers on Horner, a rake who pretends impotence in order to safely have clandestine affairs with married women, and the arrival in London of Margery, an inexperienced young “country wife,” and her discovery of the joys of town life, especially the London men.
“As distant as this era at first glance appears – women with fans and patches on their faces, men in curly long wigs carrying handkerchiefs and walking sticks – it is soon evident that Wycherley’s characters are etched with the same comic shortcomings and idiosyncrasies as the buffoons and idiots of our current generation,” says director Jon Hallquist, associate professor of theatre.
Additionally, the audience is involved from the beginning through actors not only speaking with them, but also sharing their private thoughts with the audience via glances and winks.
“In this age of cinematic naturalism, it is refreshing to experience entertainment that directly acknowledges the audience’s presence,” says Hallquist. “This involvement of the audience not only affords our actors a different style of acting to explore, but provides our audience with yet another theatrical experience.'”
The Country Wife will be performed at 8 p.m. Feb. 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 and at 2 p.m. on Feb. 15. Admission is $10 for the general public, $7 for graduate and professional students and free for undergraduates with Vanderbilt identification. Tickets are on sale at the Neely Auditorium box office. Tickets may be reserved by calling (615) 322-2404.
For more information about the 2008-2009 Vanderbilt Theatre Season, visit http:// vanderbilt.edu/theatre/currentseason.
Media contact: Missy Pankake, (615) 322-NEWS
missy.pankake@vanderbilt.edu