PILLOW TALK, through Feb. 7, Hale Center Theater Orem, 225 W. 400 North, 801-226-8600. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission).
OREM — Remember the days of party lines and rotary phones? Well, Hale Center Theater in Orem is taking audiences on a trip down memory lane with its production of "Pillow Talk."
Made famous by Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin screenplay, this stage adaptation by Christopher Sergel is set in the early 1960s. It is a romantic comedy featuring a mixed bag of characters, a hilarious love story and, of course, its star — the telephone.
In a nutshell, the plot goes something like this. Jan Morrow (Alexis Owen) and Brad Allen (Cody Swenson, who trades off with Mitch Hall on alternate nights) share a party line. Morrow is an interior decorator and needs to use her home phone extensively. But she can't because Allen also uses his phone a lot — for business and lots of pleasure. All attempts to install private lines are defeated by the phone company.
Throw into that mix Jonathan Forbes (Elwon Bakly), Morrow's pseudo boyfriend and Allen's business associate. Other characters of note include Alma (Maureen Eastwood), Morrow's housekeeper/telephone busybody and Pierot (Lon Keith), Morrow's over-the-top, flamboyant assistant.
Add to that list a host of Allen's women suitors and Morrow's clients, played by Jolene Sayer, Robinne Booth, Devin Asay, Marydee Potter, Amanda W. Bakly and Julie Webb.
The show starts out slow but soon picks up steam. By the end the audience is in stitches — the comedic timing is great. The set and costumes add to this production. Hale Center has done the '60s number on its costumes, background music and, of course, the real, old-fashioned telephones. In fact, after the show some of the younger patrons walking by the set started playing with the rotary dials.
"Pillow Talk" is a fun, easy-on-the-brain comedy to start out the new year.
E-MAIL: pugmire@desnews.com