Love Among the Ruins at El Portal Theatre

PAPAZIAN HIRSCH PRODUCTIONS
Presents
JoBeth Williams and Peter Strauss
Love Among the Ruins
Written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian
From a film script by James Costigan
Directed by Michael Arabian
Supervising Producer Conwell S. Worthington, II

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT 28 Performances Only!
El Portal Theatre
October 6 to 29 (Press Opening October 8)
Tickets at elportaltheatre.com

June 8, 2023 — JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, The Big Chill) and Peter Strauss (Rich Man, Poor Man, The Jericho Mile) star in the romantic Love Among the Ruins, written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian, from a film script by James Costigan. Love Among the Ruins is a Papazian Hirsch presentation and is directed by Michael Arabian.

Love Among the Ruins has 28 performances only October 6 to 29 (Press Opening October 8 at 5p) at the El Portal Theatre, 5969 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood CA 91601. Tickets are available at elportaltheatre.com or by phone at 818-508-4200.

A hilarious, romantic courtroom classic, Love Among the Ruins, adapted from the Peabody- and multiple Emmy-Award-winning ABC Theatre Presentation starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, had its world premiere at the Laguna Playhouse on October 26, 2022.

In this newly reinvented version, Jessica Medlicott (Jobeth Williams), once a great actress, is now a beautiful and wealthy widow. She is accused of “breach of promise” by a handsome young Naval officer who claims she promised to marry him.

Her only hope may be the greatest barrister at the Old Bailey, Sir Arthur Granville Jones (Peter Strauss). Jessica Medlicott is no ordinary client and the sparks that fly as she drives Sir Arthur to distraction keeps the audience guessing, laughing and crying until the very end. Is she guilty of “breach of promise?” Only the great Sir Arthur can get to the truth.

Eric Marchese in the Newport Beach Independent said Love Among the Ruins is “a charming, polished light comedy with enough touches of romance to make us warm to its characters. JoBeth Williams and Peter Strauss provide charisma and star power in a grand, crisp and handsome staging that brims with British charm.”

Christopher Smith in the Orange County Register said, “Chemistry rolls off the stage from the start in the gentle verbal sparring between the two actors. It is a treat to get Peter Strauss suitably dashing and JoBeth Williams equally good at being coquettish and assertive in the leads … each has roots in live theater, and their timing and delivery for stage is valued. Kudos to director Michael Arabian at achieving a harmonious rapport we never emotionally question or doubt. Stephen Gifford’s very appealing stage design is a star here, too.”

Kristen Daniels in The Show Report said, “An exquisite play, and an elegant comedy, this beautifully written adaptation of a courtroom classic is every bit as charming, ageless and delightful as the original film … a shining testimonial to the glories of memory and dreams that deserve better than to become merely a memory itself. The charismatic presence and chemistry between the two stars is truly formidable.”

JoBETH WILLIAMS (Jessica Medlicott) has starred in the films Poltergeist, The Big Chill, Blake Edwards’ Switch, Fever Pitch, The Big Year opposite Steve Martin, Kramer vs Kramer and over 30 others. She began her career in the theater at Trinity Repertory Theater before moving to New York, where she starred in Annie Baker’s Body Awareness, Last Dance by Marsha Norman at Manhattan Theater Club and John Guare’s Gardenia. Also in New York, JoBeth starred in Moonchildren, Ladyhouse Blues, The Vagina Monologues and A Couple of White Chicks. She starred opposite Stacy Keach in Idiot’s Delight at The Kennedy Center, Antony and Cleopatra at The Old Globe, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at The McCarter, Threepenny Opera and Grand Horizons at Williamstown. 

In Los Angeles, she appeared in Halley Fieffer’s A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Memorial Sloan Kettering and Jane Anderson’s The Quality of Life at the Geffen Playhouse, Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities at the Taper, The Night Is A Child at Pasadena Playhouse, Fall to Earth at the Odyssey Theater, and most recently, The Gin Game at the Rubicon Theatre. 

JoBeth has received three Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her work in the television movies Adam and Baby M., and the series Frasier, Private Practice, Marry Me and Hart of Dixie. She was nominated for an Oscar for directing and producing the short film On Hope.

PETER STRAUSS (Sir Arthur Granville-Jones) recently appeared in Operation Finale with Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac. He recently directed and appeared with Marsha Mason and Jean Smart in two staged reading productions of Bruce Graham’s play The Outgoing Tide. Born in New York City, he attended The Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and graduated from Northwestern University. He starred on Broadway in Einstein and the Polar Bear. Off-Broadway he was seen as Ben Bradley in Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers at New York Theater Workshop, Sabina at Primary Stages, Chinese Friends at Playwrights Horizons and The Outgoing Tide at Primary Stages.

ROBERT A. PAPAZIAN AND JAMES G. HIRSCH (Playwrights) have been recognized as two of the entertainment industry’s most successful and creative producers, writers, executives and studio operators. Papazian received an Emmy for his critically acclaimed production of NBC’s Inherit the Wind as well as Hirsch’s WGA nominated script, The Rape of Richard Beck, which garnered Richard Crenna an Emmy for best actor. Their prodigious body of producing work includes more than 60 television movies, miniseries and series. Bob and Jim developed and produced HBO’s critically acclaimed smash success Rome. Other television laurels include the all-time top-rated multi-Emmy-nominated television movie The Day After (ABC); Crazy From the Heart (TNT), for which Christine Lahti won the coveted ACE Award; and the highly acclaimed ABC Theater presentation The Boys, starring John Lithgow and James Woods. 

While still active as writer/producers, in 1997 Papazian and Hirsch co-founded RAY-ART Studios, the first full-service, state-of-the-art production facility, which housed many of Hollywood’s leading independent producers, studios and networks.

MICHAEL ARABIAN (Director) directed Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, starring Leslie Caron and Tesla, starring Hal Linden, Dan Lauria, Gregory Harrison, Charles Shaughnessy, and French and Vanessa Stewart, at the Laguna Playhouse. He has directed numerous West Coast and world premieres in New York, Los Angeles and other cities, winning over 50 awards, one being the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for outstanding production and direction for Waiting For Godot at the Mark Taper Forum/Music Center. He founded Theatre InSite at CBS Studios Radford, doing immersive productions on their backlot and live TV pilots, where Third Rock From The Sun was picked up.

JAMES COSTIGAN (Teleplay) won three Emmy Awards for Little Moon of Alban (which appeared on the Hallmark Hall of Fame), Love Among the Ruins (a TV movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier) and Eleanor and Franklin. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. His Broadway play, the comedy Baby Want a Kiss, was a success. Put on under the aegis of the Actors Studio and starring superstar Paul Newman and his wife, Oscar-winner Joanne Woodward, the play ran for 148 performances. James Costigan died of heart failure on December 19, 2007. He was 81 years old. 

CONWELL S. WORTHINGTON, II (Supervising Producer) has worked as a producer since the notable 1977 Broadway revival of The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Constance Towers, which subsequently extensively toured North America. He also worked on the first Broadway revival of The Music Man, starring Dick Van Dyke, and later on Dirty Dancing. He was also part of the original production team for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and with the Los Angeles production at the Shubert Theatre. In Los Angeles, he recently produced Hair and the musical comedy Adam Eve & Steve.

The cast of Love Among the Ruins also features (in alphabetical order): CJ Blaine Eldred as “Alfred Pratt,” Martin Kildare as “George Druise,” Tom Shelton as “Judge Philip Tandy,” Katy Tang as “Hermione Davis,” Tyee Tilghman as “Sir John Francis Divine,” Patrick Vest as “Herbert/Bailiff,” and Wendy Worthington as “Fanny Pratt.” The understudy is Nick Molari.

The Design Team members for Love Among the Ruins are: Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford; Costumes designed by Kate Berh; Lighting Design by Jared A. Sayeg; Sound Design by Bruce Yauger; Projection Design by Brian Gale; Properties Design by Kevin Williams; Casting Directors are Michael Donovan, CSA, Mary Jo Slater, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The Casting Associate is Kimberly Ehrlich, CSA. Production Stage Manager is Phil Gold; with Matthew Herrmann, General Manager.

Calendar Listing for Love Among the Ruins

Theatre: El Portal Theatre, 5969 Lankershim, Blvd., North Hollywood CA 91601
Dates: Friday, October 6 to Sunday, October 29, 2023
Press Opening Sunday, October 8 at 5 p.m.
Schedule: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: Website: elportaltheatre.com