The Hampton Theatre Company in Quogue is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a spring production of Boeing Boeing, a fast-paced comedy that runs through March 30. The show promises an evening of laughter and lighthearted fun as it highlights the talents of local and regional actors.
Written by French playwright Marc Camoletti and set in Paris, the comedy is a 1960s-era farce centered on airline-based romantic entanglements, where the same man is engaged to three women.
Ticket prices range from $40 for adults to $36 for seniors and $25 for students. The theater is located at 125 Jessup Ave. in Quogue. The curtain rises Thursdays through Sundays, with showtimes at 7 p.m. and some matinees at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s fast paced; it’s funny. I think it’s an opportunity for people to have some fun and laugh because you know things are kind of stressful right now in people’s lives, and to give people that for an evening is really just a gift for people to just get out and just laugh,” said Catherine Clyne, the director.
Clyne’s enthusiasm goes beyond choosing the play to include the cast and supporting talent she’s collaborated with to ensure its success, from lighting to scenery.
“Each actor is so talented and such a distinct character, it’s really been a joy to watch,” Clyne told South Shore Press.
Clyne believes the play is appropriate for children, particularly those attending the matinees, despite the script containing some romantic moments.
Although Clyne, a Village of Babylon resident, has a long history of directing plays, this is her first experience with the Hampton Theatre Company.
“They’re actually celebrating their 40th year this year, so they’ve been around quite a bit,” she said.
Most of the actors Clyne cast in Boeing Boeing are from the Long Island area and Manhattan, and she noted the company draws both professional and amateur actors to its Quogue stage.
“Every aspect of my first time with this company has been a real gift to me because everyone who handles each area of putting a production together is so good at what they do that when they come together it’s just a beautiful blend of everything: costumes, props, lighting, sound, everything,” said Clyne.
While Clyne is also an actress, she said, “Directing is my favorite thing to do. I like to bring people together for a common goal that we achieved together and worked on together.”
According to the theater’s website, the group was founded in 1984 after conversations around the kitchen table about the need for a theater company where like-minded individuals could share their love of the stage. Forty years later, it continues to thrive, with productions scheduled throughout the year.