Hay Fever A play by Noël Coward Wednesday 2 p.m. Oct. 6 Thursday 8 p.m. Oct. 7, 28, Dec. 2 Friday 8 p.m. Oct. 1, 8, 29, Dec. 3 Saturday 2 p.m. Oct. 2, Nov. 6 Saturday 8 p.m. Oct. 2, 9, Nov. 6, Dec. 4

Photo #1: Left to right: Sara Hymes (Sorel Bliss), Alan Ball (David Bliss), Samantha L. Rosentrater (Judith Bliss), Andrew Papa (Simon Bliss)

Photo #2: Left to right: Sara Hymes (Sorel Bliss), Andrew Papa (Simon Bliss)

Photo #3: Left to right: Samantha L. Rosentrater (Judith Bliss), Alan Ball (David Bliss) Photo credits: Richard L. Fosbrink

Detroit, MI - On October 1, 2010 the Hilberry Theatre will open its doors for its 48th season with an eccentric, colorful comedy of manners. In Hay Fever, one of Noël Coward's earlier notable plays, the Bliss family welcomes you to their household for a getaway weekend in their decadent, country home. Watch as every member of this self-absorbed family invites an unsuspecting romantic prospect without informing the others, then laugh as the after-dinner entertainment goes from bohemian casual to "hay fever" crazy. Hay Fever opens on October 1, 2010 and runs in rotating repertory until December 4, 2010. Tickets are $10-$30 and are available by calling the Hilberry Theatre Box Office at (313) 577-2972, online at www.wsushows.com, or by visiting the box office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Cass Avenue and Hancock.

Hay Fever Director David Magidson creates the idea that the audience is a "guest," while scenic designer Rudy Schuepbach's gives the Bliss's free-spirited home a 1920s look. As guests of the Bliss family, the audience will be able to witness the madness and witty banter that this seemingly middle-class clan dishes out for dinner. "It's a snapshot in the daily lives of a family in the 1920s. The height of the bohemian era right before the stock market crash," Magidson notes.

Firmly situated within the "comedy of manners" genre, Hay Fever satirizes the manners of social class as represented by stereotypical characters. Like other comedies in the genre, its plot focuses on love affairs which are secondary to the wit and bawdy dialogue. In fact, Coward stated that the play has "little to no plot and remarkably little action. Its general effectiveness therefore depends on the expert technique from each and every member of the cast."

The Hilberry's "expert" cast members include Andrew Papa (Simon Bliss), Sara Hymes (Sorel Bliss), Alan Ball* (David Bliss), Samantha L. Rosentrater (Judith Bliss), Peter C. Prouty (Sandy Tyrel), Lorelei Sturm (Myra Arundel), Christopher R Ellis (Richard Greatham), Carollette Phillips (Jackie Coryton), and Vanessa Sawson (Clara). Production team includes Michael J. Peters (Production Stage Manager), Jacee Rohlck (Technical Director), Jon Weaver (Sound Designer), John Woodland (Costume Designer), Jason Pratt (Lighting Designer), Curtis Green (Props Master), and Nikki Allen, Richard L. Fosbrink, and Robert Lima (Publicity Team).

About the Hilberry Theatre Company

The Hilberry Company is unique in that it is the nation's only graduate theatre company staffed by young up-and-coming professionals that also runs on a rotating repertory schedule. About forty graduate students are selected in national competition to receive fellowships to work in this theatre and study for advanced degrees. The company performs an annual season of six plays, including high school matinees for nearly 10,000 students. Through the years four Hilberry productions have been selected to appear at the American College Theatre Festival.

*Appears by special permission of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

The 2010-2011 Hilberry season is sponsored by CBS Outdoor, Between the Lines and Encore Michigan.

Tickets are $10-$30 and are available by calling the Hilberry Theatre Box Office at (313) 577-2972 or online at www.wsushows.com. Group discounts and corporate packages are also available. For more information, please call (313) 577-2972 or visit the Wayne State University Box Office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Cass Avenue and Hancock. Performance information and tickets may also be obtained by visiting the Theatre's websites at www.theatre.wayne.edu and www.wsushows.com.