Legendary entertainers Kenan and Kel made theatrical history when they broke down the fourth wall, and then, to the consternation of the set designer, broke down the second and third walls as well. Experience the magic of the stage with today's Groupon: for $19, you get a ticket to one performance of one of the three plays in The Norman Conquests by Cygnet Theatre Company (up to a $49 value, prices vary for each show on different dates). Performances take place at The Old Town Theatre, and shows run until November 7.
The Norman Conquests is a trilogy of comedic plays written by Alan Ayckbourn. The three plays portray Norman, an unlikely Casanova, whose struggles to keep the women in his life content produce side-stitchingly hilarious results. Each play tells the story of one fateful weekend and takes place in a different area of the same English country house. Table Manners is set in the dining room, Living Together unfolds in the living room, and Round and Round the Garden takes the humor outdoors for a roll in the grass. The plays stand independently and can be seen in any order. Each survivor of all three shows is bequeathed an exclusive "I Conquered Norman" T-shirt.
The Old Town Theatre is located within munching distance of many fine restaurants. The Cygnet Theatre Company believes in the power of theater to thrill and startle the soul, so audiences must thoroughly prepare themselves for an evening of soul-startling excitement. Tickets must be booked in advance.
Show times are as follows: Wednesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Check the schedule to see which shows play at which times.
Each Groupon is valid at only one performance.
Reviews
The Cygnet Theatre Company's production of The Norman Conquests has been previewed and reviewed by various outlets including BroadwayWorld.com, SanDiego.com, the North County Times, and Examiner. The theater company has a perfect five-star average from Yelpers:
- Yours truly and half the audience on opening day ‘survived’ “Norman” in a six hour marathon recently, and is still standing (or sitting) to tell about it. You might want to try it. It is a challenge, but well worth it. It’s an ambitious undertaking and does require a whole day but, hey, it’s a theatrical moment. – Carol Davis, Examiner
- Consistently and meticulously co-directed by Cygnet's Sean Murray and Francis Gercke, the plays are expertly cast, run like well-oiled machines, are smartly designed and filled with nuggets of hilarious visual humor. – Pam Kragen, North County Times
Groupon Says
How Quaint Is Your Entertainment?
Compared to TV, 3-D movies, and giant Imax screens that project images from Back to the Future at you while you sit in a DeLorean replica on hydraulic lifts, seeing the theater may seem quaint, and it may even make you angry that you are not sitting in an imitation flying car while watching it. Here's a guide to the quaintness of entertainments:
Theater
Quaint Level: 5 Cozies out of 10
Worth Your Time?: Absolutely! Modern theater productions are lavish spectacles that usually star TV actors, are based on action movies or popular songs, and come with free "programs" that tell you about actors' unions.
Zoetropes
Quaint Level: 7 Grandmas out of 10 (or 1 Grandma out of 10 if you are reading this in 1865)
Worth Your Time?: Yes, but only so that you may understand why earlier generations were so bereft of amusement that optical illusions and reading were both popular leisure activities.
Virtual Reality
Quaint Level: 0 Noyces out of Infinity
Worth Your Time?: Yes. This least-quaint entertainment is only a few years or maybe even months away from making regular reality look like a toilet filled with old bananas. Virtual reality promises to stop being the twist ending of several ’90s movies and to start being a better way to ignore your wife.
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