‘Beau Jest’ next up for Old Lyric players
What’s a girl to do when her parents want to meet the boyfriend who doesn’t exist? Hire an actor, of course.
The Old Lyric Repertory Company’s production of “Beau Jest” by James Sherman centers on the universal conflict between parent and child, said director Lynda Linford.
“The play is about parents and children, specifically about religious differences, which should be an interesting hook for this audience,” Linford said.
The Old Lyric Repertory Company is a production program based in the Department of Theatre at Utah State University in Logan, and is a part of the Caine School of the Arts and the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Home to the company is the Caine Lyric Theatre, 28 W. Center Street, Logan.
“Beau Jest” is the second production of the OLRC season and opens June 19 with a 7:30 p.m. curtain and continues June 20 and 21 with an additional matinee performance Saturday, June 21, at 2 p.m.
In “Beau Jest,” Sarah Goldman is faced with the consequences of a string of lies she told her parents who want her married to a nice Jewish boy. Instead, she is dating WASP-y executive Chris. So she makes up Dr. David Steinberg as a cover.
Everything is fine until her parents insist on meeting David. So Sarah hires an out-of-work actor named Bob to sit in as David at the family Seder. Bob rises to the occasion and Sarah’s parents are thrilled, but hijinks begin and are sustained from there. The charade leaves Sarah’s once relatively calm life in tumult, Linford said.
“The majority of the audience can relate to this because everyone is either a parent or a child,” she said. “It overshadows the faith issue. The real issue is a child saying, ‘Please give me freedom to be who I need to be.'”
Linford said the show has something to attract all audiences.
“‘Beau Jest’ has charming characters and all the elements for comedy – mistaken identity, disguise and surprise,” Linford said. “The show combines so many elements of comedy with universal relationships that it’s a dynamic duo.”
New York City import Sasha Kaye brings authenticity to “Beau Jest” because she is Jewish, Linford said. Kaye, a master’s degree student at Rutger’s University, helped other members of the cast learn the Hebrew and Yiddish used in the Jewish rituals in the show.
Linford said “Beau Jest” has a great cast that is a mix of first-time and returning OLRC members that is sure to make the show fun for both the cast and audience.
“Beau Jest” will have evening performances June 19-21, 25, 27, July 19, 22 and Aug. 1 beginning at 7:30 p.m. There will also be matinees June 21 and July 19 at 2 p.m.
For OLRC ticket information visit the OLRC Web site (www.usu.edu/lyric) and click “Tickets and Passes,” call the Caine Lyric Theatre box office, (435) 752-1500, or the Caine School of the Arts box office, (435) 797-8022. The Caine Lyric Theatre’s box office is at 28 W. Center Street in Logan.
Ticket prices vary based on seating, and discounts are available for youth, seniors and USU faculty, staff and students. Adult evening tickets range from $21-$25. For details, call the box offices or visit the OLRC Web site.
The Old Lyric Repertory presents four productions in repertory this summer at the Caine Lyric Theater, 28 W. Center Street, Logan. “Beau Jest” joins “The Dresser,” with productions of “Chaps!” and “Deathtrap” yet to open. The season runs June 12 through Aug. 2. Students working in the OLRC High School Apprentice program also present a production that is open to the public.