Friends and Neighbors

The Cottage is a relatively new play (it ran om Broadway in a 2023 production directed by Jason Alexander) but Sandy Rustin’s writing is very self-consciously reminiscent of the classic British sex farces of the 1930s and later – particularly the work of Noel Coward. Brainerd Community Theatre’s new production of the play, directed by Amy Borash, is a fast-paced and often very funny show held back slightly by flaws in the material that fall short of living up to its inspirations.

The core story is as classic as it gets – two couples are, unbeknownst to each other, having affairs with the others’ spouses. The play opens withbSylvia (Rachel Kline) relishing the one day a year she spends at the titular Cottage with Beau (Matt Hill), brother of her husband. Beau seems quite satisfied with keeping the arrangement as-is, but Sylvia wants more and she horrifies Beau by revealing she has sent telegrams to her husband Clarke (Brian Rhett) and sister-in-law Marjorie (Abby Pratt) informing them of her intention to leave Clarke for him. Soon all four are at the Cottage together, where it is soon revealed that Clarke and the heavily pregnant Marjorie have also been sleeping together – and not just once a year.

We get all of the expected confrontations, questions, accusations, and secrets, all played with a delightful parody of stereotypical English propriety. You can feel the personalities straining as each character tries to find a moral high ground in a story where nobody has been completely honest with anybody else. The screw turns tighter with the arrival of Dierdre (Natalie Topete), Beau’s other mistress, who informs the group she has just divorced her husband and fully expects him to arrive soon and murder Beau.

Amy Borash is often at her best directorially when working with high energy or high tension, and there are some definite high points here, from the characters debating who is or is not at fault for the infidelities to a hilarious scene where Dierdre gets drunk while everyone else is discussing an inheritance to a sequence where Marjorie seems about to go into labor that ends in quite a different manner than you’re likely to expect coming in. Less effective are the expository speeches where characters talk about the events leading up to the story or the weirdly earnest scenes when the cast talks about the nature of love. These scenes do give the actors more to chew on, dramatically-speaking, but in terms of storytelling they mostly serve to slow down the pace.

Thankfully, the cast is bringing all of the energy necessary for a madcap farce like this. I’m particularly happy to see Rachel Kline in a leading role again. She does a great job at finding layers in Sylvia as the show progresses, or even as Sylvia finds them in herself. It’s the sort of performance you’re always attuned to, no matter how chaotic the story around her gets. As Beau, Matt Hill spends most of the show ping-ponging between attentions to mistress, spouse, and family, even when it’s ultimately clear to the audience the only person he cares about is himself. It’s a wonderful performance, completely distinct from his previous performance in Dracula: a Comedy of Terrors.  Brian Rhett and Abby Pratt are always welcome presences, and here they serve an an effective grounding rod, given theirs are the only characters who know exactly what they want. As Dierdre, Natalie Topete is a delightful airhead and brings some hilarious and unexpected physical comedy to the mix.

Also worth mentioning is the set. The characters often mention during the show how nice the cottage is, and set designer Tim Leagjeld has created a setting that more than lives up to the praise. It’s a gorgeous set, with not an inch wasted. There is even room for some amusing sight gags, such as the various hiding places for cigarettes found around the area.

If you’re looking for a fun night at the theatre or just some anti-Valentine’s Day entertainment, The Cottage is definitely worth your time. Is the script as good as some of the classic British sex farces that it echoes? No, not necessarily, but it’s consistently funny, well-acted, and refreshingly adult-oriented. Check it out.

THE COTTAGE runs through February 15 at the Chalberg Theatre at Central Lakes College.