EVENTS: The Waterville Opera House raises the curtain on its 2025 season with “The Cottage”

The Waterville Opera House (WOH) kicks off its 2025 theatrical season January 31 – February 9, with The Cottage, a hilarious new comedy by Sandy Rustin.

This brand-new, side-splitting romp is an outrageous tale of sex, betrayal, and desire. A series of revelations cascades in a domino effect as one woman decides to expose her latest affair to both her husband and her lover’s wife. The true meanings of fate and faith, identity and infidelity, love and marriage are all called into question as a surprising and hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculously funny romantic comedy.

Playwright Sandy Rustin also penned the stage adaptation of Clue, which the Opera House produced in 2021. Fans of that production will find the same rapid-fire comedic timing, clever turns of phrase, and well-placed occasional slapstick in The Cottage. A tight cast of six characters gallivants through an increasingly outrageous situation in a script that seems to set a new world record for twists-per-minute.

The Cottage first premiered on Broadway in summer 2023 with a powerful cast and under the direction of Jason Alexander (of Seinfeld fame). For the Waterville Opera House to have the opportunity to stage such a new work so soon after its Broadway debut is a point of excitement for many working on the production.

“The Cottage feels fresh,” said actress Sarah Harlow, who leads the six-player ensemble in the role of Sylvia. “It’s got a lot of twists and turns, and each character has many dimensions to them, which is not always the case for a farce, and certainly not always the case for female characters in a farce.”

Rustin’s play cleverly spins and subverts several tropes and attributes of the classic farce and comedy-of-manners subgenres to create a work that feels fresh and is undeniably original.

The Cottage opens Friday, January 31, at 7:30pm. Evening performances follow February 1, 7, and 8 at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m., matinées on February 2 and 9. The Waterville Opera House is proud to offer an ASL interpreted performance on Sunday, February 2, at 2 p.m.

This production is sponsored by Mid-Maine Restoration and Marie Cormier.

The Cottage is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

Season Pass

The 2025 theatrical season continues April 25 – May 4, with Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, followed by mystery/thriller Deathtrap August 29 – September 7, and then concluding with the beloved classic musical, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, November 14 – 30. Season Passes are now on sale at operahouse.org. Theatregoers can enjoy a 20 percent discount off their purchase when they reserve tickets to all four 2025 productions in one transaction.

Tickets are available now. Go to operahouse.org, call 207-873-.7000, or visit the Ed Harris Box Office, in the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, 93 Main Street, Waterville, to make reservations.