Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts presents BYU alumnus Joel Bree’s comic production of “Houseboat Honeymoon” Wednesday, Nov. 12, through Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pardoe Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center.
There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. There will be a matinee Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. The performances Nov. 12-13 are dress rehearsals. Tickets are $15, or $10 weeknights and $11 weekends with a BYU or student ID. For dress rehearsals and matinees, all seats are $8. To purchase tickets, call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at (801) 422-4322 or visit byuarts.com.
In this comical production, newlyweds Rich and Linsee plan their honeymoon at the lake only to discover that Rich’s family is vacationing on the same weekend—on the same houseboat. Chaos ensues as the honeymooners dodge their in-laws. The production explores marriage and family relations in a new light.
“Marriage is about compromise and accommodation, realizing that the way one family did things isn’t necessarily the ‘right’ way for them to be done,” said director and faculty member Eric Samuelsen. “From the moment Joel Bree began working on what would become ‘Houseboat Honeymoon’ in my playwriting classes, I sensed that he was on to a great theme–young married couples adjusting to the eccentricities and foibles of each other’s families.”
The set will feature a double-decker houseboat, accommodating the entire cast throughout the production. Referring to the houseboat on the set, Bree said, “It’s a little surreal. I mean, I made this thing up and there it is sitting on stage.”
He explained how he felt this same excitement when he heard the actors at rehearsals: “I made up these jokes, and there on the stage the actors are saying my lines and laughing—and even making me laugh.”
The cast will feature Doug Kaufman as Rich, Leslie Hiatt as Linsee, Peter Layland as Brandon, Cory Minor as James, Emily Foster as Sharon, Nathan Meigs as Henry, Airseal Rivera as Ron, Alice Johnson as Jeanie, Haley Flanders as Mom, Ashley Bonner as Gramma, Kelly Hennessey as Mary Anne, Brock Kannan as Ted, Merrill Matheson as Dad and Moises Lopez as Grandpa.
The production staff will include Laura Tolsma, dramaturge; Summer Lewis, production stage manager; Seven Nielsen and Adisti Regar, scenic designers; Haleh Risdana and Maria Schulte, costume designers; Anna Kron, lighting designer; and Christina Tibbetts, sound designer.
For more information, contact Eric Samuelsen at (801) 422-3305.
