Charley's Aunt
Hale Center Theater OremView digital playbillAug 15, 2019 – Sep 14, 2019
Director's note (Rodger Sorensen): Charley’s Aunt was originally commissioned by the community of Bury St. Edmunds in West Suffolk England and performed on February 29, 1892 as part of its social festiv- ities revolving around its annual fox hunt. Before the year was out, Charley’s Aunt had toured England and settled into what became an unprecedented four-year London run (1,466 performances). Since its premiere 127 years ago, Charley’s Aunt has delighted audiences worldwide with hundreds of thou- sands of productions. It is popular with high schools, colleges, universities, community theatres, professional theatres, and has been adapted into films, television specials, panto- mimes and operas. The story of Charley’s Aunt is simply entertain- ing. Two St. Olde’s College undergraduates, Jack Chesney and Charley Wykeham, cannot meet (and propose to) their girls, without a chaperone present. No problem. Charley’s aunt, Donna Lucia d’Alvadorez (from Brazil—where the nuts come from), is sched- uled to arrive by train from London. When Charley returns from “picking her up,” she is not with him. Rather she is delayed for a few days. Luckily, their friend Lord Fancourt Babberley has just tried on his costume for the upcoming school production in which he plays an old lady, and he wants Jack and Charley to tell him how he looks. As he is parading around for his friends, the girls arrive and the boys force the rascally “Babbs” to become “Charley’s Aunt.” Two older gentlemen compete for “her” hand. The real Donna Lucia arrives and presents herself as Mrs. Beverly-Smythe. And the farce begins. Although I’ve known Brandon Thomas’ play all of my career, I’ve only seen it once, and I’ve never directed it. So, when I received an invitation to stage it at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, I jumped at the chance for three reasons: I love the show, I love this wonderful old intimate Hale Center Theater, and finally, I love the company working on this production. They are a delightful group of collaborators: passionate, creative, and deliciously funny. This show is dedicated to anyone who has ever fallen in love and either proposed or received a proposal of marriage. It is also dedicated to anyone who loves a good old farcical romp through the rooms and gardens of their alma mater (in this case St. Olde’s College in Oxford England). And finally, it is dedi- cated to all who have seen and loved the story of Charley’s Aunt or who are just now experi- encing it for the first time. Welcome to the wonderful wacky world of Charley’s Aunt! —Rodger Sorensen Run August 15–September 14, 2019 (dates supplied for import). Program PDF: HCT_220.