Waiting in the Wings

Noél Coward's aging actresses haven't lost their bite

Comments (0) By Lee Williams Thursday, Sep 17 2009

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Noél Coward's Waiting in the Wings, opening this weekend at Country Playhouse, is a rarity for the English playwright. The comedy about a retirement home for actresses is full of plum roles for women, and most of the characters are past the half-century mark. This Golden Girls of the theater is full of the sort of great one-liners that made Coward so remarkable. The women at the center of the story heat up old rivalries and try to find some fun in life after the rest of the world has written them off. The assortment of eccentrics includes leading ladies who can't remember their lines and grand old dames stuck in the past. It may be a bit predictable, but Wings is charming, and Coward's often acerbic zingers balance out the sweetness. 8 p.m. Through October 3. 12802 Queensbury. For information and a full schedule of show times, call 713-467-4497 or visit www.countryplayhouse.org. $17 to $20.
Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 27, 2 p.m.; Thu., Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m. Starts: Sept. 18. Continues through Oct. 3, 2009