The Cottage

A DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE TITLE

The Cottage

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Sandy Rustin

The Cottage is a romantic and (not quite) murderous comedy of manners. The true meaning of fate, identity and marriage are called into question as a surprising, hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculous, potentially murderous, uncharacteristically feminist 1923 British tale of sex, betrayal and love.

Image: 2023 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

The Cottage

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Sylvia and Beau find themselves in an English countryside cottage for their yearly rendezvous, and Sylvia knows this time it will be the beginning of their new life together. But when Beau demurs on a shared future, and their spouses arrive at the cottage, she realizes that this home-away-from-home is a refuge for determining a new path forward and decides to expose her love affair to her husband and her lover’s wife. With a tip of the hat to Noël Coward and sex comedies of the past, The Cottage offers a perfect showcase for six actors with endless laughs, hilarious twists, daring physical comedy and a happy ending for lovers everywhere. The true meaning of fate, identity and marriage are called into question as a surprising, hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculous, potentially murderous, uncharacteristically feminist 1923 British tale of sex, betrayal and love.

History

The Cottage premiered on Broadway at the Hayes Theater on 24 July 2023 after first being produced by Astoria Performing Arts Center in 2013. The Broadway cast included Eric McCormack as Beau and Laura Bell Bundy as Sylvia.

Keywords
Performing Groups

SYLVIA – A lovely and rash romantic
BEAU – Perhaps the best-looking man in Britain
MARJORIE – Eight months pregnant, pragmatic and a tad spicy
CLARKE – A distinguished gent with a lover’s spirit
DIERDRE – An awfully pretty, sometimes wise nincompoop
RICHARD – A murderous yet gentle soul

Theatre companies should strive to support a cast and crew of diverse theatre workers. This diversity includes, but is not limited to, gender identities, ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, body types, ages and ability.

The script maps out suggested physicality in some cases, but casts are encouraged to embrace the style and find their own moments of doors swinging, cigarette lighting and a general air of farce while maintaining a truthful intention throughout. Characters are often on separate wavelengths, experiencing the same moment in dramatically different ways. Discovering the abrupt beat changes is all part of the fun. Some are clearly marked, others are to be found as you go.

Standard British dialect should be adhered to. Actresses playing Dierdre (Deer-drah) have the liberty of slowly descending into a lower-class dialect (Deer-dree).

Theatre companies should strive to support a cast and crew of diverse theatre workers. This diversity includes, but is not limited to, gender identities, ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, body types, ages and ability.

The script maps out suggested physicality in some cases, but casts are encouraged to embrace the style and find their own moments of doors swinging, cigarette lighting and a general air of farce while maintaining a truthful intention throughout. Characters are often on separate wavelengths, experiencing the same moment in dramatically different ways. Discovering the abrupt beat changes is all part of the fun. Some are clearly marked, others are to be found as you go.

Standard British dialect should be adhered to. Actresses playing Dierdre (Deer-drah) have the liberty of slowly descending into a lower-class dialect (Deer-dree).

  • Time Period 1920s
  • Setting

    A cottage in the countryside village of Moreton-in-Marsh, England. June 1923.

  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Physical Comedy
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol
    • Gun Shots
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes
    • Smoking

Media

“Laugh out loud!” – The New York Times

“Positively delightful… frothy and effervescent.” – TheaterMania

“A naughty romp… Amid the old-fashioned trappings, Rustin nestles a welcome modern sensibility to the plot’s skirmishes of the sexes.” – Time Out New York

“Sidesplitting screwball comedy… The Cottage is a fresh and fiercely fun play that’s firing on all cylinders with Rustin’s excellent script.” – Entertainment Weekly

Videos

  • The Cottage on Broadway – Trailer youtube thumbnail

    The Cottage on Broadway – Trailer

  • What is The Cottage? – Broadway Promo youtube thumbnail

    What is The Cottage? – Broadway Promo

  • The Cottage – Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Trailer youtube thumbnail

    The Cottage – Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Trailer

  • The Cottage – Florida Studio Theatre Teaser youtube thumbnail

    The Cottage – Florida Studio Theatre Teaser

  • The Cottage at Barter Theatre – Audience Reactions youtube thumbnail

    The Cottage at Barter Theatre – Audience Reactions

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Photos

  • The Cottage

    Image: 2023 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • The Cottage

    Image: 2023 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • The Cottage

    Image: 2023 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Music

Music Samples

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £85 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Sandy Rustin

Sandy Rustin
Sandy Rustin is an actress and award-winning playwright named by American Theatre Magazine as one of the “Most-Produced Playwrights of the ’22-’23 season.” Her stage adaptation of the film Clue is one of the most-produced plays in the U.S., with over 3,000 productions worldwi ...
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