Hay Fever
Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre 752 Vine Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403
Noel Coward’s Hay Fever is a comedic masterpiece that has left audiences roaring since it was first produced in 1925. The farce revolves around the antics of celebrated actress Judith Bliss, her novelist husband David and their two bohemian children, Simon and Sorel.
Each of the Blisses invites a guest to join them at their family country home for the weekend without telling the others. What was meant to be a relaxing weekend away turns into a family feud that leaves the Bliss family guests fearing for their sanity.
Director Steve Ray says, “Hyper-creative people live by their own rules. That’s what makes them wonderful, but it’s also what can perplex the people around them. Coward is having fun with this by trapping four ‘normal’ people in a country cottage with the Blisses, a celebrated family of artists. In the mayhem that ensues, what emerges is a comedy of bad manners.”
Commenting on the deeper goals of author Noel Coward, Director Steve Ray says, “The play exposes the games people play in relationships. Coward’s insight into this is hilarious. I think we will all recognize awkward and tender moments that we’ve all experienced—plus some embarrassing ones.”