Noel Coward's Hay Fever, as airy a trifle as one may encounter in the theater, soars to new heights in this Chamber Theater production. Crafted in the 1920s with wit and style by the witty and stylish playwright Noel Coward, this comic gem retains all the charm and glamour one imagines it enjoyed during its heyday.
The play centers on an eventful weekend at the country estate of the Bliss family. As the family gathers in the living room on a cheery Saturday morning, it's quickly discovered that, unbeknownst to the others, each person has invited a guest for the weekend. Thus ensues the first of many family rows (about which guest is going to get what bedroom).
The mother, Judith, is a recently retired actress who's more interested in staging a comeback than creating a home filled with warmth, charm and harmony. Her adult children, Sorel and Simon, are nothing more than a pair of spoiled brats. The father, largely indifferent to family affairs, is a novelist. He is usually sequestered in an upstairs room, working on a chapter of his latest book. These unforgettable characters come vividly to life as performed by Angela Iannone (Judith Bliss), Dan Mooney (David Bliss), Chase Stoeger (Simon Bliss) and Alix Martin (Sorel Bliss).
Opening night jitters caused Sorel and Simon's first exchange to proceed at a runaway pace. One imagines the proper pace would be restored in successive performances. It is a credit to director Montgomery Davis that Angela Iannone doesn't completely run away with the show -- one expects she could pull it off at any instant. Instead, she graciously allows the other characters to have their moment in the spotlight -- but only briefly, as Noel Coward undoubtedly intended. Once the family characters are firmly established, things shift into high gear when the unsuspecting guests begin to arrive.
Since the guests in the play aren't as fully realized as the family members, it puts an extra burden on the actors, who must rely on body language to convey their reactions. Of the "guests," special mention goes to actor Drew Brhel [sic]. He portrays a distinguished diplomat whose decorum crumbles as the evening wears on. Brhel switches from a sense of relaxed, suave confidence to eye-popping incredulity in a heartbeat, and the effect is hilarious. Likewise, Jocelyn Ridgely is terrific as an unsuspecting young flapper. She manages to work herself into near-hysteria under the family's domineering presence.
All of the characters are beautifully adorned in Ellen Kozak's sumptuous, authentic-looking costumes. The equally attractive living room set is matted and framed in a way that gives it the look of a Fragonard painting. A grand piano, lavish upholstered couch and chairs and other upscale details truly suggest a "blissful" environment. However, what the guests experience is nothing short of a nightmare, much to the audience's delight.
