ALLEY THEATRE
Gregory Boyd, Artistic Director
Paul R. Tetreault, Managing Director
www.alleytheatre.com

ALLEY’S BOYD REVISITS AUDIENCES’ FAVORITE FRENCH FARCE

A FLEA IN HER EAR

February 23 - March 24, 2001

Houston, Texas - The Alley Theatre brings back the comedy most requested by its audiences: Georges Feydeau’s A FLEA IN HER EAR. The Alley Theatre Resident Company of Actors will tackle this outrageously chaotic French farce involving a chain reaction of mistaken identities and misplaced jealousies. Directed by Artistic Director Gregory Boyd, A FLEA IN HER EAR begins previews Friday, February 23, opens Wednesday February 28, and runs through Saturday March 24, 2001.

The Stanford Financial Group serves as the Alley Theatre’s Large Stage 2000 - 2001 season sponsor, with Williams and The Humphreys Foundation as the production’s co - sponsors.

The sheer madness of A FLEA IN HER EAR begins with Raymonde Chandebise, the suspicious wife of Victor - Emmanuel Chandebise, devises a plan to test his fidelity. She asks her friend Lucienne to write an anonymous love letter to her husband proposing a rendezvous at the Pink Pussy Cat Hotel. Naturally, upon receiving the letter, the innocent Victor - Emmanuel assumes there must be some sort of mistake and convinces his friend Romain Tournel, a man notorious for his powers of seduction, to go to the hotel in his stead. Thus begins the downward spiral of mistaken identities and frenzied chance meetings between husbands, wives and lovers, all of which lead to hilarious results.

French dramatist Georges Ferdeau, born in 1862, was the son of the novelist Ernest - Aime Feydeau. He wrote more than 60 comedies before his death in 1921 and unfortunately was regarded in his lifetime only as a somewhat skilled writer of light entertainment. His most notable works include Le Systeme Ribadier (1892), Le Dindon (1896), La Dame De Chez Maxim (1899), Occupe-toi d’Amelie, Feu la Mere de Madame (1908) and On Purge Bebe (1910). Since the mid-twentieth century, Feydeau’s work has become more respected for his well-constructed and insightful satires of sexual morality and he is now recognized as an outstanding writer of classic farce.

The cast of A FLEA IN HER EAR include Alley Theatre Resident Company actors James Belcher as Finache, James Black as Victor - Emmanuel Chandebise and Poche, Bettye Fitzpatrick as Olympe, Elizabeth Heflin as Lucienne, Paul Hope as Etienne, Charles Krohn as Feraillon, Ty Mayberry as Rugby, David Rainey as Baptistin, and Todd Waite as Romain Tournel. The production welcomes the return of Laura Heisler as Eugenie, Kimberly King as Raymonde Chandebise, Teri Lamm as Antoinette, Noble Shropshire as Don Homenides de Histangua, and Jamison Stern as Camille.

"What were you doing just now in the Pink Pussy Cat Hotel?" Etienne played by Paul Hope (L) confronts his wife, Antoinette played by Teri Lamm (R) in Georges Feydeau's A FLEA IN HER EAR. Photo by Jim Caldwell.
The design team for A FLEA IN HER EAR includes Scenic Designer Tony Straiges (Alley’s Long Day’s Journey into Night) with lighting by Alley Theatre Associate Director - Design Kevin Rigdon, costume design by Jeanne Button (Alley’s Hay Fever, As Bee’s in Honey Drown, and Equus) and sound by Alley Theatre Resident Sound Designer Malcolm Nicholls.

The Alley Theatre, recipient of the 1996 Special Tony Award for outstanding regional theatre, is a resident theatre company located in the heart of downtown Houston. Alley productions have been seen throughout the United States and abroad. In 1998, the Alley Theatre continued its commitment to international collaborations by joining Vanessa Redgrave and Corin Redgrave’s Moving Theatre of London to produce the world premiere production of Tennesee Williams’ early play NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES at the Cottesloe Theatre in London.

A collaboration with the Moving Theatre and Royal National Theatre and directed by Trevor Nunn, NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES made its U.S. debut at the Alley Theatre in June 1998 and went on to open at the Circle in the Square Theatre on Broadway in the Spring of 1999. Featuring two Alley actors in principal roles, NOT ABOUT NIGHTINGALES was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. The Alley began its 1998 - 1999 season with the world premiere of an original and unique musical event entitled THE CIVIL WAR by Gregory Boyd, Jack Murphy and Frank Wildhorn (composer of Jekyll and Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel). The Civil War (Tony Award nomination, Best Musical) also went on to a run at Broadway’s St. James Theatre in April 1999, making it the second Alley offering to open on Broadway that season. THE CIVIL WAR is currently on a national tour. The Alley unveiled two world premieres last season: Eve Ensler’s haunting LEMONADE and Edward Albee’s THE PLAY ABOUT THE BABY, which opened Off - Broadway February 1, 2001.

For the 2000 - 2001 season, the Alley Theatre unveils two world premieres: Keith Reddin’s SYNERGY (which began previews February 2nd) and Horton Foote’s THE CARPETBAGGER’S CHILDREN in June 2001. Other highlights of the season include Donald Margulies’s Pulitzer Prize - winning Dinner with Friends and The Devil’s Disciple by George Bernard Shaw featuring the Alley Resident Company of actors.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN

The Alley Theatre continues its efforts to make the theatre accessible to patrons who may not otherwise be able to attend performances for financial reasons by offering three PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN performances of A FLEA IN HER EAR at 8pm Friday, February 23, 7:30pm, Tuesday February 27 and 7:30pm Thursday March 1, 2001. (Available for select seats, limits two per person - cash or check only - with a $2 minimum for each ticket. Available in-person, the day of the performance only.)

AUDIO DESCRIPTION, CAPTIONING AND ASL INTERPRETATION

There will also be an open-captioned, audio-described and ASL-interpreted performance of A FLEA IN HER EAR On Sunday, March 18 at 2:30pm.

SPANISH TRANSLATION

There will be two Spanish-translated performances for A FLEA IN HER EAR on Sunday March 4th, 2001 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm. Through the use of an infrared listening system and headphones, Spanish-speaking patrons will be able to enjoy the show. Availability is limited. Ticket holders should alert the box office in advance to reserve the headphones.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to A FLEA IN HER EAR are on sale now at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713-228-8421. Single tickets to preview performances range from $19 to $35; single tickets to performances on or after the Wednesday, February 28 opening range from $32 - $49. Groups of 10 persons or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 713-229-9341, ext. 346.

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GEORGES FEYDEAU’S SIDE - SPLITTING FARCE

A FLEA IN HER EAR

PROVIDES PLAYGROUND FOR ALLEY’S RESIDENT COMPANY OF ACTORS

WHAT: A FLEA IN HER EAR
by Georges Feydeau
Directed by Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd

To highlight the Alley Theatre Resident Company of Actors, Mr. Boyd encores one of the Alley’s most popular plays of the last decade, A FLEA IN HER EAR. This outrageously chaotic comedy begins with a plan devised by Raymond Chandebise. She is the suspicious wife of Victor - Emmanuel Chandebise, whom she assumes must be having an affair, as he has recently been unable to fulfill his conjugal duties. When she asks her friend Lucienne to request a rendezvous with her husband, and he in turn asks his friend Romain Tournel to replace him at the rendezvous, a chain reaction of frenzied mistaken identities and misplaced jealousies begins. Alley Artistic Director Gregory Boyd will direct a new version of this classic farce, with lighting by Alley Theatre Associate Director - Design Kevin Rigdon, set design by Tony Straiges (Alley’s Long Day’s Journey into Night), costume design by Jeanne Button (Alley’s Hay Fever, As Bees in Honey Drown, and Equus) and sound by Alley Theatre Resident Sound Designer Malcolm Nicholls.

WHEN:
FEBRUARY 23rd - MARCH 24th, 2001

WHERE:
ALLEY THEATRE, Large Stage
615 TEXAS AVENUE.

TICKETS:
Tickets to A FLEA IN HER EAR can be purchased at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Avenue, or by calling 713-228-8421. Tickets to preview performances are $19 - $35; tickets to performances on or after the February 28 opening range from $32 - $49. Groups of 10 persons or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate by calling 713-229-9341, ext. 346.