Stage Door Theatre’s production of “The Cottage” takes the audience through a twisted witty tale of infidelity that’s sure to entertain.
The play, which runs through Oct. 19, opens with star-crossed lovers Sylvia and Beau making their annual secret romantic rendezvous at Beau’s family cottage. We soon find out that Sylvia is married to Beau’s brother, Clarke.
During their weekend together, Sylvia (Charls Sellick) decides she is ready to leave her husband and start a new life with Beau (Benjamin DeWitt Sims), and sends a telegram to both her husband (played by Jerome Manning) and Beau’s wife, Marjorie (Tori Thompson), revealing the affair.
To everyone’s surprise, the arrival of the spouses sets off a series of revelations, including the fact that Clarke and Majorie are also having an affair much more intense than that of their cheating spouses – and further, that Beau’s philandering ways aren’t limited to Sylvia.
Enter Beau’s other paramour, Diedre (Kat Stoneback), and her jealous ex-husband Richard (Chris Shulz), and chaos ensues as the couples grapple with the possibility that their lives could be in danger.
The play culminates in a mix of farce, witty dialogue, and unexpected turns, questioning the true meaning of marriage and love.
“The Cottage,” by playwright Sandy Rustin, appearing on Broadway in 2023 (directed by Jason Alexander of “Seinfeld” fame), was praised as a lighthearted and fun escape. Critics likened it to classic, sophisticated British comedies by writers like Noël Coward and Oscar Wilde.
Nothing was lost in its geographic relocation from New York to Dunwoody. The actors were sharp, the humor on point, the set beautifully appointed, and the ending satisfying.
‘The Cottage,” directed by Damian Lockhart, is playing through Oct. 19 at Stage Door Theatre, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online.
