Of course, working together again means the two will have to put their differences aside, and that won’t be easy.Ĭan the duo co-exist after years of estrangement? Can they share the stage again after their well-publicized Roman-era fiasco? After all, as Jarvis notes to Fenella, “we have years of scar tissue to get over.” The next scene takes us to the present day, as Fenella has a lunch meeting with producer Ezra Pector (Brian Michael Jones), whose parents were the producers whose careers were ruined by the bickering star duo.Įzra has a brand-new, two-person play called “Two on a Bench,” and he wants Fennington and Haverly as his stars, calling their participation “cosmic reparation” for having destroyed his parents’ careers and lives. ![]() “Staged” begins 20 years ago with a performance of “Antony and Cleopatra” starring Haverly and Fennington that goes awry, devolving into a spectacular on-stage row between the two high-profile stars. In Laguna, three elements skillfully tread the fine line between the uproarious and the delicate, wherein characters who at first glance are caricatures struggle with insecurity and self-doubt: The script, Bergman’s adroit direction of it, and the quartet of actors surrounding Rudner and McShane. No, “Staged” has more on its mind than simply one-dimensional comedy. Whether Rudner and Bergman intend to elicit this comparison is almost beside the point, because their script digs a little deeper than simply depicting the couple’s well-publicized battles and holding them up for ridicule. Rita Rudner, Brian Lohmann and Mike McShane star in the World Premiere of “STAGED” at The Laguna Playhouse. You’d be spot-on if the antics of Fennington and Haverly remind you of Taylor and Burton, a notoriously embattled show-biz power couple of the ’50s, ’60s and later decades. Their tempestuous marriage frequently disrupts their careers, and “Staged” sees them battle it out in public and divorce, only to reunite years later. That’s only fitting, as its subject is also a show-biz power couple – albeit a fictional one.įenella Fennington (Rudner) and husband Jarvis Haverly (Mike McShane) are among the brightest lights of stage and screen. Now in its world premiere through February 12 at their home venue, “Staged” is their latest work in partnership: Bergman directs Rudner in a script they co-wrote as a vehicle for her. Since their marriage in 1988, they’ve collaborated on countless projects, including the plays “Tickled Pink” and “Act 3” that were produced at the Laguna Playhouse. ![]() ![]() Rita Rudner and Mike McShane star in the World Premiere of “STAGED” at The Laguna Playhouse. If Laguna Playhouse were said to have a power couple, it would be Rita Rudner and Martin Bergman. By Eric Marchese | Special to the LB Indy
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