by Harry Duke *

Sandy Rustin’s The Cottage, now running at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center through August 16, has all the hallmarks of a classic Noël Coward comedy: an early 20th-century setting, an English countryside abode, philandering spouses, lots of drinking and smoking, and witty banter delivered in British accents.

That it was written in 2013 is given away by the addition of two non-Coward-esque elements – mass murder and flatulence.

Sandy (Tika Moon) and Beau (Matt Farrell) have been having a tryst at Beau’s family cottage for one evening only per year for the last seven years. Sandy has decided she wants the tryst to last 365 days a year, so she has telegrammed her husband (and Beau’s brother) Clarke (Max Chittister) to let him know it’s over. She’s also messaged Beau’s wife Marjorie (Tamara Brooks) to fill her in on the goings-on. 

Clarke and Marjorie head for the cottage (of course) as they have a bit of news as well. Things are further complicated by the arrival of the newly-divorced Dierdre (Avni Shah), another of Beau’s regular dalliances. She’s left a note for her ex Richard (Anthony Tedrick) giving him the address of the cottage for forwarding her mail. Richard has a bit of a temper as evidenced by his burying of all of Dierdre’s former lovers. 

Will Richard show up at the cottage to knock off Beau? He will if there’s going to be a second act.

Rustin’s script is genuinely funny and director Robert Zelenka’s cast is having fun with it. Moon channels Tallulah Bankhead via Dame Maggie Smith as the catalyst for the action. Farrell echoes British comic actor Terry-Thomas, right down to the handlebar moustache. Chittister is properly proper as the also-philandering sibling. Brooks and Shah are tasked with some physical comedy that they both handle with aplomb. Tedrick enters (intentionally) with the most ridiculous beard one can imagine.

All the goings-on go on a nice set by Dan Seisdedos, who’s also responsible for the sound design. What a treat it must have been to work on one particular sound effect. Period costumes (by Moon) are well done.

The preview/final dress performance I attended was well-paced but things should get even zippier when the show has full, responsive audiences (which it deserves). Rustin’s script has things to say about relationships and the status of women in that period, but her priority is comedy and the laughs do come. 

Surprisingly, this show took ten years to make it to Broadway where it had a well-received run in 2023. The rights for the show have only recently been released to regional theaters with CPAC’s production being only the second in the Bay Area to date. 

The folks in Cloverdale were lucky to get it and they do a good job with it. I predict it will be produced by plenty of other North Bay theatre companies before long, but you have the opportunity to see a funny, well-produced version of it right now. 

Take it.

‘The Cottage’ runs through August 16 at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center, 209 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $20–$25. 707.894.2214 cloverdaleperformingarts.com

Photos by Robert Zelenka

This review originally appeared in The Healdsburg Tribune.