DIRECTOR’S NOTE

DIRECTOR’S NOTE admiration for noËl coward:

A Note From the Director

I’ve long admired the work of Noël Coward, but never had the opportunity to work on it until now. His mastery of language and humor shines a generous light on the very real pathos and imperfection of humans. And that wit! His characters always have the immediate retort that I dream of having in that perfect moment in the argument! Rehearsing with these exceptional actors for the past month has been an endless delight and I’m so happy to be back at The Rep, and to bring that joy to the audiences here. As I’ve emerged from these past two isolating years, now hearing the sound of hundreds of people laughing is such a balm for me. To see audiences coming together as a community of strangers in a dark theatre to laugh together at how very familiar and hopeless these characters’ foibles are gives me hope. Yet my secret surprise in working on the piece is how much heart I have found in it. Coward has such a love for people, and all of our perfect imperfection. He’s generous with our flaws and certainly with our impossible quests for love. In this month, I’ve found myself reflecting on my great loves, and thinking on those times with extraordinary warmth. For all that famous wit and bite, underneath, it is Coward’s humble humanity I have come to love the most. I’m happy then to offer you more than just a romp, but rather a loving treatise on love. May we all find great ones, and may they not destroy us!

Meredith McDonough, Director