Ann Reinking's "8:30" trio opens with one of the collection's best known and most popular, "Red Peppers", and closes with its least known, "Star Chamber." Even people who are familiar with the various rotations of the plays think of the lot as totaling nine. There are, in fact, ten and this "missing tenth" play is here used as the finale. Set in an empty theater during the board meeting of a theatrical charity, it was written to star Gertrude Lawrence as the larger-than-life stage star Xenia James (played at WTF by Deborah Rush) and Noël Coward as Johnny Bolton (Bill Irwin at WTF), a standup comedian who was characterized as a bore. After taking on the presidency of the Actors' Orphanage, Coward felt that he had inadvertently satirised people he esteemed highly and with nine other plays providing an abundance of riches, he dropped this play from the rotating cycle. The idea of a home for destitute actresses, called Garrick Haven in "Star Chamber", resurfaced later in Waitig In the Wings (recently revived on Broadway and giving plum roles to some of our more distinguished theatrical senior citizens).

Appearing in these three plays marks a new direction for Fool Moon (and also as performer in and director of Scapin).

A speech by Xenia in "Shadow Play" was quoted by critic Kenneth Tynan to illustrate his belief that Harold Pinter's much admired concision of language owed much to Coward: "Small talk, a lot of small talk with other thoughts going on behind." Yet, Coward himself had little use for the new playwrights like Pinter whose arrival marked for a period of his declining popularity.

TONIGHT AT 8:30 (Series B) "Red Peppers", "Shadow Play" and "Star Chamber" by Noël Coward Directed and choreographed by Ann Reinking For Program A Review & Production Notes, go here FeaturingCharlotte d'Ambroise, Joan Copeland, Christopher Fitzgerald, Rick Holmes, Bill Irwin, Terrence Mann, Deborah Rush, Barbara Sims, Rachael Warren; also Cherl Lynn Bowers, Daisy, Logan Marshall-Greene, Kathleen McCafferty, Christian Maurice, Jimmi Simpson, Elisabeth Waterston Set Design: Allen Moyer Lighting Design: Rui Rita Costume Design: Linda Cho Sound Design: Kurt B. Kellenberger Musical director: James Sampliner Orchestrations: Larry Moore Choreography, "We Were Dancing, Sandra L. Burton Williamstown Theatre Festival Adams Memorial Theatre, 1000 Main Street, Williamstown, MA (413/597-3400) http://www.wtfestival.org 6/16/2000-7/022000; 6/23 opening Reviewed by Elyse Sommer