By MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR Starting Thursday, audiences can be transported to the Roaring 20s and the upper echelons of British society when Southington Community Theatre mounts its production of Noel Cowards sophisticated comedy, “Hay Fever.” The show runs March 13 to 16 at Plantsville Congregational Church. The Observer caught up with the show’s director/ producer Peter E. Pristic via email to talk about the theater group’s latest offering. Observer: Noel Coward is known for portraying the erudite, sophisticated well-to-do members of English society. What do you like about this time period? Peter E. Pristic: My interest in the 1920s actually began with what was happening in the 1920s here in America. I can pinpoint the exact moment that interest was piqued: I had a best friend in Michigan, Pauline Minor, that would tell me stories of her and her husband visiting every speakeasy between Detroit and Chicago and the fun they had, as she often said, “Back in the day.” She had a plethora of stories, too, about her “high society” friends and their parties. “The Gay 20s!” indeed. When I was researching a show to direct and “Hay Fever” came to my attention, the time period just struck [...]
By MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR Starting Thursday, audiences can be transported to the Roaring 20s and the upper echelons of British society when Southington Community Theatre mounts its production of Noel Cowards sophisticated comedy, “Hay Fever.” The show runs March 13 to 16 at Plantsville Congregational Church. The Observer caught up with the show’s director/ producer Peter E. Pristic via email to talk about the theater group’s latest offering. Observer: Noel Coward is known for portraying the erudite, sophisticated well-to-do members of English society. What do you like about this time period? Peter E. Pristic: My interest in the 1920s actually began with what was happening in the 1920s here in America. I can pinpoint the exact moment that interest was piqued: I had a best friend in Michigan, Pauline Minor, that would tell me stories of her and her husband visiting every speakeasy between Detroit and Chicago and the fun they had, as she often said, “Back in the day.” She had a plethora of stories, too, about her “high society” friends and their parties. “The Gay 20s!” indeed. When I was researching a show to direct and “Hay Fever” came to my attention, the time period just struck [...]