What the Butler Saw, With Paxton Whitehead, Charles Shaughnessy and Frances Barber, Opens at the Mark Taper Forum | Playbill

News What the Butler Saw, With Paxton Whitehead, Charles Shaughnessy and Frances Barber, Opens at the Mark Taper Forum Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw, the comedic farce of seduction and blackmail, officially opens at the Mark Taper Forum Nov. 23 following previews that began Nov. 12.

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Charles Shaughnessy Photo by Craig Schwartz

Performances continue through Dec. 21.

The cast includes Paxton Whitehead (The Importance of Being Earnest, My Fair Lady), Frances Barber (Hamlet, Camille), Sarah Manton (One Man, Two Guvnors), Angus McEwan ("The Duchess"), Rod McLachlan (Holiday, Our Town) and Charles Shaughnessy ("The Nanny," "Mad Men").

John Tillinger, who previously helmed the Orton plays Loot and Entertaining Mr. Sloane in repertory at the Taper in 1987, directs.

"Set in the consulting room of a private psychiatric clinic, the action begins when the very proper Dr. Prentice (played by Shaughnessy) is interrupted by his wife (Barber) just as he is about to seduce a beautiful, young woman who is applying for a job as a secretary (Manton)," press notes state. "As his botched efforts to conceal his actions spiral outrageously out of control, Orton ferociously skewers psychiatry, religion, marriage, morality, government and definitions of gender."

The production features set design by James Noone, costume design by Laurie Churba Kohn, lighting design by Ken Billington and John McKernon and sound design by John Gromada. Wigs and hair are by Carol F. Doran; casting is by Mark B. Simon, CSA; and the production stage manager is David S. Franklin.

Visit CenterTheatreGroup.org for more information.

 
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