Love Among the Ruins

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, The Big Chill) and Peter Strauss (Rich Man, Poor Man, The Jericho Mile) star in the Papazian Hirsch production of the romantic comedy Love Among the Ruins, written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian, directed by Michael Arabian, from a film script by James Costigan at El Portal Theatre through November 5. 

A hilarious, romantic courtroom classic, Love Among the Ruins is adapted from the Peabody and multi-Emmy Award-winning ABC theatre presentation starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier.

In this newly reinvented version, Jessica Medlicott (Jobeth Williams), once a great actress, is now a beautiful and wealthy widow. She is accused of “breach of promise” by a handsome young Naval officer who claims she promised to marry him. 

Her only hope may be the greatest barrister at the Old Bailey, Sir Arthur Granville Jones (Peter Strauss). Jessica Medlicott is no ordinary client and the sparks that fly as she drives Sir Arthur to distraction keeps the audience guessing, laughing and crying until the very end. Is she guilty of “breach of promise?” Only the great Sir Arthur can get to the truth.

Hirsch and Papazian, thought of as among television’s most successful and creative producers, writers, executives, and studio operators of the last fifty years, were considering properties for live theatre and they more than fondly remembered Love Among the Ruins; they thought it an ideal property to bring to the stage.  Robert said, “When the movie was first broadcast in 1975 we were quite young, but that film hit a chord that we never forgot – and over the decades Jim and I continually talked about it and eventually made a deal to adapt it and bring it to Laguna Playhouse.  What an interesting story, what interesting characters.  And at the end of the show our first production Laguna audience’s standing ovations showed the audience was so emotionally moved by the revelations in the story – which gave us the impetus for this new production.”

Eric Marchese, Newport Beach Independent said Love Among the Ruins is “a charming, polished light comedy with enough touches of romance to make us warm to its characters.  JoBeth Williams and Peter Strauss provide charisma and star power in a grand, crisp and handsome staging that brims with British charm.

Christopher Smith in the Orange County Register said, “Chemistry rolls off the stage from the start in the gentle verbal sparring between the two actors.  It is a treat to get Peter Strauss suitably dashing and JoBeth Williams equally good at being coquettish and assertive in the leads … each has roots in live theater, and their timing and delivery for stage is valued.  Kudos to director Michael Arabian at achieving a harmonious rapport we never emotionally question or doubt. Stephen Gifford’s very appealing stage design is a star here, too.”

Kristen Daniels in The Show Report said, “An exquisite play, and an elegant comedy, this beautifully written adaptation of a courtroom classic is every bit as charming, ageless and delightful as the original film … a shining testimonial to the glories of memory and dreams that deserve better than to become merely a memory itself.  The charismatic presence and chemistry between the two stars is truly formidable.”

The Cast

The cast of Love Among the Ruins also features (in alphabetical order): Tony Abatemarco as “Judge Philip Tandy,” Gigi Bermingham as “Hermione Davis,” Nima Dabestani as “Herbert/Bailiff,” C.J. Blaine Eldred as “Alfred Pratt,” Martin Kildare as “Sir George Druise,” Amir Talai as “John Francis Divine,” and Wendy Worthington as “Fanny Pratt.” 

The Team

The Design Team members for Love Among the Ruins are Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford; Costume Design by Kate Bergh; Lighting Design by  Jared A. Sayeg; Projection Design by Brian Gale; Property Design by Kevin Williams; Sound Design by Bruce Yauger; Dialect Coach Joel Goldes; Casting by Michael Donovan CSA, Mary Jo Slater CSA, Richie Ferris CSA; Production Manager Jason Davis; General Manager Matthew Herrmann; Production Stage Manager Phil Gold; aand Stage Manager Raven Chatt.

Robert A. Papazian and James G. Hirsch have a storied history in American entertainment having been at the forefront of the now groundbreaking idea of television routinely making stand-alone motion pictures in the late sixties and early seventies.  ABC began a series that introduced a new film every week, often on topical themes or dramas that spoke to humanity and they were contained to a 90-minute time slot that made them economical to make.  These films were so popular that it helped lift the third place ABC to being a ratings contender with NBC and CBS, as well as establishing that television could make motion pictures of great quality and popular appeal.

From that beginning, their prodigious body of producing work includes more than 60 television movies, miniseries and series. Papazian received an Emmy for his critically acclaimed production of NBC’s Inherit the Wind as well as Hirsch’s WGA nominated script, The Rape of Richard Beck, which garnered Richard Crenna an Emmy for best actor.  

The film, The Day After (ABC) is the all-time top-rated multi-Emmy Award-nominated television movie about a fictional nuclear war and was watched by 100 million people on its first airing – the highest-rated television film in history between its first airing in 1983 and 2009.  President Ronald Reagan watched the film and wrote in his diary that it was “very effective and left me greatly depressed”  and that it changed his mind on the prevailing policy of a nuclear war.

Bob and Jim developed and produced HBO’s critically acclaimed smash success, Rome.  Other television laurels include Crazy From the Heart (TNT), for which Christine Lahti won the coveted ACE Award, and the highly acclaimed ABC theater presentation, The Boys, starring John Lithgow and James Woods.

While still active as writer/producers, in 1997 Papazian and Hirsch co-founded RAY-ART Studios, the first full-service, state-of-the-art production facility that housed many of Hollywood’s leading independent producers, studios and networks. 

JOBETH WILLIAMS (Jessica Medlicott) has starred in films such as Poltergeist (1 and 2), The Big Chill, Stir Crazy, Blake Edwards’ Switch, Fever Pitch, The Big Year opposite Steve Martin, Kramer vs Kramer and over thirty others.  She has been nominated for three Emmys, two Golden Globes, and an Oscar for directing a short film. After graduating Brown University, she began her acting career at Trinity Repertory Theater before moving to New York, where she starred in Annie Baker’s Body Awareness, Last Dance and John Guare’s Gardenia at Manhattan Theater Club, as well as Moonchildren, Ladyhouse Blues, The Vagina Monologues, and A Couple of White Chicks. She starred opposite Stacy Keach in Idiot’s Delight at The Kennedy Center, Antony and Cleopatra (The Old Globe), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (McCarter) and Threepenny Opera (Williamstown).  Her theater work in Los Angeles includes The Quality of Life and A Funny Thing… by Haley Pfeiffer (Geffen), Other Desert Cities (Taper), Madwomen of the West (Odyssey) The Night is a Child (Pasadena Playhouse), and Love Among the Ruins at the Laguna Playhouse.

PETER STRAUSS (Sir Arthur Granville Jones) won the Emmy Award as Best Actor in the film The Jericho Mile. Born in New York City, he attended The Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and graduated from Northwestern University. He starred on Broadway in Einstein and the Polar Bear. Off-Broadway he was seen as Ben Bradlee in Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers at New York Theater Workshop, Sabina at Primary Stages, Chinese Friends at Playwrights Horizons and The Outgoing Tide at Primary Stages. Films include The Last Tycoon, The Secret of NIMH, Nick of Time,  XXX2: State of the Union, and License to Wed. Select television credits include: Rich Man, Poor Man, Masada, Heart of Steel, Tender is the Night, Kane and Abel, Men Don’t Tell, and The Yearling. He recently appeared in Operation Finale with Ben Kingsley and Oscar Issac and recently directed and appeared with Marsha Mason and Jean Smart in two staged reading productions of Bruce Graham’s play The Outgoing Tide. He is married to actress Rachel Ticotin and they have three children. He resides in Ojai, California and farms 400 tons of citrus per year. 

MICHAEL ARABIAN (Director) directed Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, starring Leslie Caron and Tesla, starring Hal Linden, Dan Lauria, Gregory Harrison, Charles Shaughnessy and French & Vanessa Stewart, at the Laguna Playhouse. He has directed numerous west coast and world premieres in New York, Los Angeles and other cities winning over 50 awards, one being the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for outstanding production and direction for Waiting For Godot at the Mark Taper Forum/Music Center. He founded Theatre InSite at CBS Studios Radford doing immersive productions on their backlot and live TV pilots where “Third Rock From The Sun” was picked up. 

JAMES COSTIGAN (Original Screenplay) the acclaimed TV writer and Broadway dramatist won three Emmy Awards for Little Moon of Alban starring Julie Harris, Christopher Plummer and George Peppard which appeared on the Hallmark Hall of Fame; Love Among the Ruins, starring Katherine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier; and two miniseries Eleanor and Franklin and its sequel Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years starring Jane Alexander and Edward Herrmann and directed by Daniel Petrie. Costigan was nominated for an Emmy for his adaptation of Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw starring Ingrid Bergman and directed by John Frankenheimer. He later adapted Alban for Broadway with Harris and Robert Redford. His Broadway comedy Baby Want a Kiss was produced under the aegis of The Actors Studio and starred Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.  Costigan died December 19, 2007.  

CONWELL S. WORTHINGTON, II (Supervising Producer) has worked as a producer since the notable 1977 Broadway Revival of The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Constance Towers that extensively toured North America. He staged a second national tour with Mitch Lee that returned to Broadway at the Broadway Theatre.  A highlight was celebrating Yul Brynner’s 4,000th performance in the role with Richard Rodgers and Billie Hammerstein in attendance in Los Angeles. Conwell worked on the first Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Dick Van Dyke and Dirty Dancing. Following he was one of the three producers of the original production team of Disney’s Beauty on the Beast on Broadway and then the Los Angeles production at the Shubert Theatre.  He also produced international productions of Beauty and the Beast in Austria, Germany, Australia and Japan.  Conwell will be producing a revival of Hair, the musical comedy Adam Eve & Steve, and new musicals An Extra Penny and with the Andrews Sisters estate, The Swing Sisters based on their life and times.

A version of Love Among the Ruins, written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian, from a film script by James Costigan, and directed by Michael Arabian, was presented at the Laguna Playhouse in October 2022.