This coming weekend, The Old Town Theatre, located at 815 King Street, will play host to the upcoming Embassy Players’ production. The Players, who have temporarily moved from the British Embassy due to construction, are anxious for their audience to enjoy the seating capacity of approximately 400 and a mezzanine level bar. They are offering an evening of “Cole & Noel, Together with Music.”
Cole and Noel harken from the British born Sir Noel Coward and American born Cole Porter; two men who bring to mind the time of silk dressing gowns, cigarette holders, and 1930s sophistication. T
The Embassy Players, previously known as the British Embassy Players, is the direction of Suni Chapman and accompanied by members of the LaSalle Dance Orchestra.
The late John Palmer and a small group of Embassy staffers formed the Embassy Players in 1964. Lady Manning, the wife of the British Ambassador to the United States, is their patroness. Currently, the group has nearly 250 members drawn mainly from British and Commonwealth citizens and members of the Embassy staff. The group’s efforts to date have been instrumental in raising nearly $400,000 for both British and American charities.
The Players’ major productions include comedies and dramas by British playwrights, pantomimes, musical revues, and the annual Old-Time Music Hall. The group also sponsors the Ruby Griffith Award for Excellence in amateur theatre productions. This award is named for an early mentor of the Players and attracts entries from local community theater groups.
THE OLD TOWN Theatre can also be rented out for special events. A few weeks ago, Becki Brady rented out the theater and invited about 50 children for her daughter Kathleen’s birthday party. Instead of bringing birthday gifts, the guests donated to the tsunami fund. Brady said that they raised around $1,500, and said, “The kids and families were really generous with their donations and nobody seemed to miss the traditional gift unwrapping saga.”
AFTER A SHORT one-show stint, the Old Town Theatre is "ending the partnership" with Keegan Theatre. The next Keegan show, "The Playboy of the Western World," will be at the Church Street Theater in D.C. instead of the Old Town in Alexandria.