"The Portuguese Kid," a comedy by John Patrick Shanley, will conclude the 2022-23 season of Quogue's Hampton Theatre Company, opening May 25 and continuing through June 11.
The play has echoes of the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner's romantic comedy "Moonstruck," which earned Mr. Shanley an Oscar for best original screenplay. Instead of the sexy widowed Italian heroine of that movie, whose portrayal won Cher an Academy Award, the play features a twice-widowed Greek femme fatale named Atalanta Lagana, whose name alludes to the Greek myth of the huntress who can outrun any man.
The setting is Providence, R.I., where Atalanta visits Barry, a low-rent lawyer and childhood friend, to help her settle her late husband's affairs. Atalanta is now dating Freddie, a 29-year-old boy toy, while Barry is married to Patty, a much younger Latina model. The comic fireworks are further fueled by Barry's obstreperous mother, Fausta, and the fact that Freddie and Patty were once an item.
"The Portuguese Kid" was originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City in September 2017, with a cast including Sherie Rene Scott, Jason Alexander, Mary Testa, Aimee Carrero, and Pico Alexander.
Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal called the play "the funniest new comedy I’ve reviewed since, well, maybe ever . . . I don’t know when I last saw another stage comedy that was funny right from the top, or one that whose last scene was so unmanipulatively touching."
The HTC cast includes Andrew Botsford as Barry; Rosemary Cline as Atalanta; Vay David as Fausta; David Cardali as Freddie, and Esmeralda Cabrera as Patty.
The production is directed by Bob Kaplan and produced by Laurie Atlas. Set design is by Mr. Kaplan and Ricky Bottenus; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; sound by Seamus Naughton, and costumes by Teresa Lebrun.
Performances will take place on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 2:30, with an additional matinee on June 10. The June 2 and June 9 performances will be followed by conversations with the cast.
Tickets are $36, $31 for senior citizens, and $20 for students 25 and under.
