065 ‘HAY FEVER’ HITS THE TUCKER THEATRE STAGE AS SEASON’S DEBUT OFFERING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 14, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919

CenterStage Series Kicks Off Season of Classics from MTSU Theatre & Opera

(MURFREESBORO)—Playwright Noel Coward’s clever farce titled “Hay Fever” will kick off the 2006-2007 CenterStage Series at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 4-7 on the stage of MTSU’s Tucker Theatre.
Through this stylish and sophisticated comedy of bad manners, theatergoers are introduced to the Blisses—namely, Judith Bliss, a stage actress; David Bliss, a writer; and their precocious children, Simon and Sorel.
“The Blisses are a family whose members spend their summer days at their pleasant country home … and as the days become dreary and dull, each member of the family, unbeknownst to one another, invites a guest home for the weekend to spice up their summer nights,” explained Jeff Gibson, assistant professor, speech and theatre.
“However,” he added, “with the inclusion of an amateur boxer, an aspiring socialite, a diplomat, and a shy flapper, the tranquil weekend becomes a chaotic and hilarious nightmare.”
Regarding her selection of “Hay Fever,” director Deborah Anderson, professor of speech and theatre, said, “For the past few seasons, we have presented plays that are have dealt with today’s social issues, and had a lot of angst. This year, I wanted to do something different and challenging.”
As a result, she continued, “I thought ‘Hay Fever’ would be the perfect choice because Noel Coward’s style is completely unlike anything we have done recently and from a different era.”
Gibson said cast rehearsals got under way during the first week of school in preparation for the show’s Sept. 29 opening.
“We are having a great time in rehearsals,” Anderson remarked. “ Noel Coward is one of my favorite playwrights and a genius when it comes to comedy. We find ourselves constantly laughing everyday when working with this script.”
Nonetheless, “Hay Fever” is far from a walk in the park, so to speak, for MTSU’s theatre students, observed the play’s director.
“There is so much choreography and concentration involved,” Anderson explained. “(And) characters are constantly running all over the set. Perfect comic pacing is essential, and we have to recreate the authenticity of the 1920s.”
Indeed, even the playwright himself was quoted as saying that “’Hay Fever’ is far and away one of the most difficult plays to perform that I have ever encountered."
Characterized as a work that’s guaranteed to transport audience members back in time to the audacious 1920s, an era when scandalous weekend flings were often the norm, “Hay Fever”—on the occasion of its Broadway opening—inspired now-legendary theater critic Brooks Atkinson to write, "After seeing ‘Hay Fever’ you will never give week-ends again nor accept
week-end engagements, but you will go to the theatre forever and ever. Amen."
• TICKET INFO: Tickets for “Hay Fever,” which range in price from $4 to $8, may be purchased at the door on the evening of the performance. MTSU students will be admitted free with a valid MTSU ID.
For more information regarding “Hay Fever” or other upcoming Center Stage Series productions, please call (615) 494-8810 or visit the MTSU Theatre Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.





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ATTENTION, MEDIA—For editorial needs, including interview requests with performers or faculty, photo requests or to obtain review tickets, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919.

***PHOTOS AVAILABLE: Please note that color jpegs of “Hay Fever” performers engaged in rehearsals are available by e-mailing your request to lrollins@mtsu.edu.