THEATRE + COMEDY

Pandora Theatre Company is proud to present Noel Coward’s often overlooked gem, Star Chamber, in its regional premiere. Written by Coward as part of his “Tonight at 8:30” cycle of short plays, Star Chamber has rarely been seen since the 1930s.

What happens when eight self-involved actors are charged with the oversight of a decaying home for retired actresses? Will they be able to stop performing and stick to an agenda? Will the Secretary of the Fund be able to keep them on track? Where is the Board’s President? And what is that awful smell? Star Chamber is Coward’s satirical look at the self-importance of performers and their attempts to accomplish good works with a minimum of inconvenience to themselves.

Star Chamber was not written with a political agenda, or indeed as the premise for a plot (witty, romantic, frothy, comedic or otherwise), but simply as a silly, fun little satire of the theatrical customs of the day and the absurdly ineffectual attempts to corral a bunch of theatrical types in hopes that they would stick to anything even remotely resembling an agenda.

Star Chamber is a delightful show written by a master. It’s got everything – dueling divas, a has-been comedian, a beatnik, a flustered Secretary, a stage manager who just may be the only sane person in the group, and a Great Dane. And at only 50 minutes, it’s the perfect diversion for an early summer evening.

Performances will be Friday and Saturday evenings from June 18th to July 3rd at 8 pm at Frenetic Theatre at 5102 Navigation, Houston, TX 77011. Admission is $15, cash or check only. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to a local, no-kill animal rescue organization.

For more information about Pandora Theatre, visit www.pandoratheatre.com  or call 713-304-4656.