The touching romantic comedy, “Holiday,” by Philip Barry, author of “The Philadelphia Story,” will be read as part of the Script in Hand series at Westport Country Playhouse, on Monday, December 12, 7 p.m., directed by Anne Keefe, Playhouse artistic advisor. Cast members are Rebecca Brooksher, Scott Bryce, Kieran Campion, Jordan Coughtry, Betty Gilpin, Jack Gilpin, Bill Heck, Chad Kinsman, Maggie Lacey and Jodi Stevens. Tickets to the one-night-only event are $15.
“I’m excited to do ‘Holiday,’” said Keefe. “Philip Barry has always been a favorite and it’s great to do a large cast show for the holidays…and the script, even though written more than 80 years ago, feels awfully timely. And as always I’m thrilled to have a lot of old friends as well as some new faces on our stage.”
Adapted for the screen starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, the comedy tells of free-spirited Johnny Case, a self-made young businessman from humble beginnings. Although he is engaged to the wealthy and proper Julia Seton, Johnny finds himself attracted to Julia’s sister Linda, a non-conforming, independent type. Johnny’s dream is to spend the early years of his life on a holiday and work when he is older. His unorthodox plan is met with skepticism by Julia’s father and the rest of the family, except his kindred spirit Linda.
The cast’s credits and roles are: Rebecca Brooksher (Lortel Award nomination Best Actress for Lincoln Center’s “Dying City”) as Julie Seton; Scott Bryce (twice nominated for a Best Actor Emmy Award for “As the World Turns”) as Seton Cram; Kieran Campion (Westport Country Playhouse’s “Journey’s End,” “David Copperfield” and Script in Hand readings of “Golden Boy,” “A Song at Twilight” and “Dial ‘M’ for Murder”) as Johnny Case; Jordan Coughtry (Westport Country Playhouse’s “Twelfth Night, or What You Will”) as Ned Seton; and Betty Gilpin (Westport Country Playhouse’s “Butterflies Are Free” Script in Hand reading) as Linda Seton.
Also, Jack Gilpin (Westport Country Playhouse’s “Lend Me a Tenor,” “The Fourth Wall,” “A Cheever Evening,” “Hay Fever,” “A Holiday Garland” and Script in Hand reading of “Fallen Angels”) as Edward Seton; Bill Heck (Broadway’s “Brooklyn Boy,” off-Broadway’s “The Orphans’ Home Cycle”) as Nick Potter; Chad Kinsman (Bridgeport Theatre Company’s “The Laramie Project”) as Henry; Maggie Lacey (Westport Country Playhouse’s “Our Town,” “The School for Husbands,” “Lips Together, Teeth Apart”) as Susan Potter; and Jodi Stevens (Broadway’s “Urban Cowboy,” Jekyll & Hyde”) as Laura Cram.
Keefe noted that real-life father and daughter Jack Gilpin and Betty Gilpin will play father and daughter in “Holiday,” acting together for the first time. Bill Heck and Maggie Lacey, just married in September, will play the husband and wife team of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Potter’ for the first time since becoming Mr. and Mrs. Heck. Another married couple, playing a married couple, the ‘Seton Crams,’ is Scott Bryce and Jodi Stevens, who live locally, as does Chad Kinsman of Westport, portraying Henry.
