The Westport Community Theatre Announces Noel Coward's Private Lives

The Westport Community Theatre is proudly presenting Noël Coward’s Private Lives, a comedy about the hilarious and tumultuous relationship between a divorced couple, on weekends from Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 24. The WCT production features Westport residents Ann Kinner and Sam Pattinson and is directed by Alexander Kulcsar.

Private Lives is a 1930 comedy of manners that delivers its punch in three acts. It focuses on a divorced couple that, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discovers that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, they realize that they still have feelings for each other. Coward wrote one of his most popular songs, "Some Day I'll Find You", for the play, and on Broadway in 2002, the comedy won three Tonys out of five nominations, including Best Revival. The New York Times described Private Lives as, “Gorgeous, dazzling, fantastically funny!” while the NY Post called it “A gleaming and gleeful comedy”.

Fairfield’s David Victor is cast in the comedy as Victor Prynne and is directed by fellow Fairfield resident Kulcsar. Victor was last seen playing a teenager in WCT'S Our Town, which raised money for Westport's Bill Meyer scholarship fund. Before that, he played Kurt in WCT's production of Watch on the Rhine and Major Rugemer in New Canaan's Irena's Vow. Kulcsar has previously directed Sherlock's Last Case, A Picasso, Turn of the Screw, The Best Man, and Angel Street at WCT, besides many staged readings, including The Goat, The Dazzle, Making It, and On An Average Day.

Ann Kinner who plays Amanda Prynne and wife of Victor, has appeared in over a dozen productions at Westport Community theatre including Mr. Pim Passes By, A Picasso, Angel Street, Ice Glen, The Turn of the Screw and The Best Man. She has received two Square One Subscriber’s awards, including Outstanding Actress.

John Bachelder from Woodbridge plays Elyot Chase, husband to Pattinson’s Sybil Chase. He was last seen at WCT as Governor Danforth in The Crucible for which he won the On Stage Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other WCT credits include Victor Fleming in Moonlight and Magnolias, Col. Jessup in A Few Good Men, and Joe Cantwell in The Best Man. Previously Pattinson played the voice of Sonia in WCT's production of the musical They’re Playing Our Song. In the UK, Samantha acted with the Bath Operatic and Dramatic Society starring in Alice, Pinocchio and performing in Joseph, Carousel and Grease.

Stratford’s Anne James, who has worked as a backstage crewmember and stage manager on several productions at WCT makes her stage debut as Louise, the maid. Ruth Anne Baumgartner produces the WCT comedy.

Performances are from April 8 through 24, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, with a Thursday performance on April 14 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $23, $21 for seniors and students, and can be purchased at westportcommunitytheatre.com or by calling (203) 226-1983. Westport Community Theatre is located at 110 Myrtle Avenue in Westport.

Pictured are: John Bachelder, Ann Kinner, David Victor and Sam Pattinson in the WCT production of 'Private Lives'.