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11/18/2015 08:00 AMOn Saturday, Nov. 21, a unique theatrical event will be unveiled at the Ivoryton Playhouse at 7 p.m.: The Ivoryton Players will perform a staged reading of the acclaimed three act comedy The Man who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Originally set in small town Ohio and taking place in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the reading not only promises to be entertaining, but timely.
The production will be directed by New York actor and producer Joyce Beauvais, who is also the founder of the Ivoryton Players, a drama troupe for adults. This is Beauvais’s third production with the Ivoryton Players. She has been in professional theater since the age of seven and after arriving in Connecticut 3 ½ years ago, via New York City and then Florida, she started a variety of “players” groups throughout the area.
“This show promises to be a hoot. We have some tremendously talented actors who will be reading and it is a great opportunity for people to get out and enjoy some comedy,” said Beauvais.
A familiar face at the Ivoryton Playhouse is part of the ensemble: Norm Rutty, who will be reading the part of Sheridan Whiteside. A veteran of the theater since the age of five, Rutty’s résumé includes appearances at professional theaters in New London and Norwich, as well as a number of Broadway musicals, playing the lead in Sweeney Todd, Fagin in Oliver Twist, and supporting roles in a number of other shows including Man of La Mancha. For more than a decade, he has performed in productions at the Playhouse and said this role is a “delight.
“When I was asked to join the cast I was quite delighted,” said Rutty. “The character is patterned after Alexander Woollcott [a famous, obnoxious radio show star in the ‘30s]. He is a complete curmudgeon—it’s a wonderful role to play and the fact that it is a reading, with script in hand, makes it even better.”
“The key is fun; the secret, no memorizing. We do as fully staged productions as we can do while keeping it a reading,” said Beauvais, whose specialty is comedic acting.
The Ivoryton Players love to do comedies. For this reading, the group met to rehearse once a week, almost exclusively at the Centerbrook Meeting House, starting in September and has put some dedicated time in to create an amusing performance.
“It is just the beginning for us. We hope to grow, include more performances and many things, but right now one step at a time. We have to get the pace going,” said Beauvais, who started the Estuary Players group in Old Saybrook to give good friend and actress Scotty Bloch an opportunity to perform. “We did Arsenic and Old Lace,” and everyone loved it, so off we went and did three more productions, then combined that group with my group in East Lyme, the East Lyme Players (now on our third production there—Romantic Comedy by Bernard Slade), and I established the Chester Village West Players where Scotty has fun and appears. But my goal from day one was to work with a theater I have always revered, the Ivoryton Playhouse.”
The requirements for being part of the Ivoryton Players group is passion for the theater, backstage or on stage, and commitment Beauvais said. Highly trained professionals as well as first-time performers are always welcome.
“Our group has grown and the core comes back for every show. We have a range of ages and abilities, but the emphasis is on retirees who are available for daytime rehearsals,” said Beauvais. “There is an incredible bond that is formed in these groups and new friendships are cemented. Everyone genuinely cares about each other.”
Tied together with a shoestring budget, the group is currently working on building sponsors, however, for now Beauvais works for a small stipend and the actors pay a one-time pre-production membership fee.
“We dig into our closets, tool kits, and graphic arts talents and create a show,” Beauvais said.
Seating for the one time reading is limited and is on a first-come basis, with a suggested $5 donation at the door, but all are welcome.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for people who may not otherwise be able to afford to see live theater, see a live performance at the Ivoryton Playhouse,” said Rutty. “There is something wonderful about live performances, they are enchanting.”
For more information about the production or becoming a member of the Ivoryton Players, contact Beauvais at shorelinedrama@gmail.com.