With today’s news on the passing of playwright Peter Shaffer, The Acting Companywill be dedicating their one night only staged reading of Lettice and Lovage on Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. to his memory. Angela Lansbury and Dana Ivey will head an all-star cast featuring Patricia Connolly and original Broadway cast member, Paxton Whitehead at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues.
“Peter was a long time friend and supporter of The Acting Company. We are deeply saddened by his passing and will miss having him there” said Producer of Lettice and Lovage and Co-Founder of The Acting Company, Margot Harley
The charming play tells the story of an eccentric tour guide, “Lettice Douffet.” She channels her flair for the dramatic into embellishing the history of dreary Fustian House, the least stately of London’s stately homes.
Lettice’s flights of fantasy are cut short when she encounters “Lottie Schoen,” a straight-laced bureaucrat from the Preservation Trust. As their animosity gives way to an unlikely friendship born of a shared enthusiasm for historical reenactments, Lettice and Lottie discover that their elaborate fantasies have unintended real-world complications.
Written by Peter Shaffer, directed by Mark Lamos and produced by The Acting Company’s co-founder Margot Harley, Lettice and Lovage also features a group of Fustian House tourists played by recent alumni of The Acting Company.
The Acting Company’s Executive Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan promises “an unforgettable evening.” The performance will be followed by dinner with the cast at the Union Club, 101 East 69th Street. This portion of the evening is only available at certain ticket levels.
