SA Premiere for Lips Together, Teeth Apart

One beach house; two married couples … it’s going to be a long, long weekend!

John’s jumpy, Chloe’s hyper, Sam’s sulking and Sally’s upset - but for once they have time to think about life’s big questions in Mixed Salad Productions’ SA premiere of Terrence McNally’s play Lips Together,Teeth Apart from October 20 to November 5.

Through monologues unheard by others, the characters reveal a desperate sense of individual isolation. The only people these four characters find more alien are the unseen men partying in the houses on either side of them. As they divert themselves from their own mortality with food, cocktails, the crossword puzzle, fireworks, charades and biting jabs at each other and the boys next door, the two couples find little to celebrate. But if they can find the answers to their questions they might be able to sleep at night without grinding their teeth.

Dave Simms directs this new Adelaide production which stars Peter Davies as John, Steve Parker as Sam, Nicole Rutty as Chloe and Tracey Walker as Sally.

Dave Simms said, ‘The two couples are funny, yet not easy to like; we see them argue, put on brave faces and we also get the chance to hear them thinking. I hope that by laughing at Chloe and watching all the characters changing attitudes to topics such as marriage and gay men, we will be reminded that it's important to care for friends, be loyal to family and respect people different to ourselves.’ 

The New York Times said, ‘Lips Together, Teeth Apart, a work with real teeth and equally penetrating compassion, cannot take away that fear of death. But it does something that the theatre must do now more than ever, by leaving an audience exiled from paradise feeling considerably less alone.’ 

Playwright Terrence McNally was born in Florida in 1939. He attended Columbia University in New York and subsequently became a protégé of playwright Edward Albee. He wrote Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in 1982 and its screen adaptation which starred Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1991. He won the 1993 Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Kiss of the Spider Woman. Many of his plays have gay themes including Love! Valour! Compassion! which examines the relationships of eight gay men; and Some Men, a history of gay landmarks in America. Master Class (1995), a character study of legendary opera soprano Maria Callas won the Tony for Best Play. 

Since 2003, Mixed Salad has won multiple awards and gained a reputation for staging brave and new work in South Australia with plays such as Five women wearing the same dress, The History Boys, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Out in the Open and Feelgood.

Lips Together, Teeth Apartwill be performed at Star Theatre Two 145 Sir Donald Bradman Dr, Hilton from 21 October to5 November, Thursday to Saturdays at 8.00pm. Sunset performances will be held at 6.30pm on 26, 30 October and 2 November. A preview will be held on 20 October at 8.00pm. Tickets are priced from $15 and on sale at www.mixedsalad.com.au or 0439 533 173. 

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Win Tickets

Competition closed - we have our two winners - Congratulations Kathy and Lindsay.

Win two tickets to the evening performance of Lips Together, Teeth Apart on Oct 26, 2011 (2 double passes available).

The Challenge: The characters in Lips Together, Teeth Apart divert themselves with food, cocktails, the crossword puzzle, fireworks, charades and biting jabs at each other and the boys next door. Tell us your favourite diversion.

OR - Because closing time has passed with just one winner, simply tell us you'd like to attend, via our contact as below. First in wins.

To enter, visit our contact form http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/contact and type Lips Together in the subject field. Answer the challenge and nominate your choice of night (or write either if you're flexible) as a message.

Entries close 6pm Monday October 10, 2011.