A Date With Kate: Town Players To Open Season With ‘Tea At Five’

Tea At Five, the smash-hit, one-woman production that broke box office records and drew immense critical acclaim at TheatreWorks New Milford, Sherman Playhouse, TriArts Sharon and The Brookfield Theater for the Arts, among others, will open at The Little Theatre in Newtown this weekend for a three-week run.

The play, by Matthew Lombardo, is an intimate and compelling portrayal of Katharine Hepburn “as told by” the fiery redhead herself. Ms Hepburn is played by Sherman actress Noel Desiato.

The show begins in 1938 after the 31-year-old Hepburn has just been labeled “box office poison.” Ensconced in her beloved home in Old Saybrook, she waits by the phone to hear whether she nailed the part of Scarlett in a film called Gone With The Wind.

The story then moves to 1983. Despite being injured in a car accident, Hepburn’s convalescence affords her an opportunity to reflect on the triumphs of her career and her heartbreaking romance with Spencer Tracy. Lombardo’s play unveils to audiences a previously unpainted portrait of one of the great legends of the silver screen that is intuitive, provocative, and at times, downright funny.

“I am so pleased that Noel [Desiato] will be reprising the role that drew so much deserved praise at various venues across the state,” said Jane Farnol, the play’s director. “Her interpretation of Katharine Hepburn drew crowds that exceeded all of our expectations. And because there are still so many people in Connecticut who haven’t seen her tour de force performance, we all agreed it would be wonderful to bring it to Newtown so those who missed out could still have an opportunity to see Noel’s brilliant portrayal of one of the great legends of the silver screen. ”

The current production of Tea At Five debuted at TheatreWorks New Milford on January 25, 2008. The play originally premiered at The Hartford Stage Company on February 7, 2002, and made its New York premiere on March 9, 2003, at the Promenade Theatre.

The New York Daily News called the play “skillfully written and sheer fun,” while Variety hailed the work as “a poignant exploration of the universal joy and anguish of love and loss.”

For The Town Players of Newtown, Tea At Five will run September 11-27, with Friday and Saturday evening shows at 8, and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Tickets for all shows are $20, general seating.

Reservations can be made by calling 270-9144 or visiting danbury.org/TownPlayers.

The Town Players of Newtown is a local theatre company situated on Orchard Hill Road in Newtown.