Written by orange• March 13, 2026• 11:15 pm• Cabrillo Playhouse, Review, San Clemente, Theater, Uncategorized

The Cottage @ Cabrillo Playhouse – Review

photo credit: Modyman Photography

Written by Patrick Chavis

The Cottage is playing now at the Cabrillo Playhouse, Feb 27 – March 22, 2026.

It’s like the playwright Sandy Rustin sat down at the typewriter. Are people still writing on typewriters? They must be. I’d like to imagine Sandy Rustin is still writing on a typewriter. It just seems right. Hello, Sandy! Either way, she decided I’m gonna write the most generic by-the-numbers farce I possibly can. I can do that because I wrote Clue. She got away with it because it had a run on Broadway. But most importantly, it’s funny and daringly average in scope.

The boldness!

Cabrillo Playhouse’s latest production, directed by Ben Green, cranks the absurdity to ten, takes some of the averagocity and says, hey, we’re cool with it, and does this play a lot of favors.

The Cottage is a British-style farce, set in the English Countryside in 1923. A playboy of sorts, and everyone thinks so, Beau (Garrett Claud), is having his annual siesta with his mistress, Sylvia (Ashley Montgomery). Sylvia is smitten, Beau is fine with it Lol (City Boy! City Boy!). Until things start going awry. And we find out that Beau and Sylvia haven’t been the only ones cheating. With all these mishaps one after another, it’s amazing, almost preposterous, how long it’s been going on.

This is one of those plays, if you think about it too long, you’ve wasted your time. But if you give it a chance, the show, besides being a tad predictable, does have its charms. With the absentmindedness these characters possess. The possibility that these affairs and situations wouldn’t have collapsed long ago practically falls into the realms of make-believe. But this play doesn’t take itself too seriously – it’s about the gag, and this ensemble of actors was down to clown.

Set in one location, the entire play makes no changes between the first and second acts, yet much of the action is propelled by this cast of 6 actors. The jokes are fast and relentless, and mounting anticipation of danger keeps the story moving for the most part. This fine work from Set Designer Brian Vidales possibly some of the strongest build construction I’ve seen come out of this playhouse in recent years. This, in part, has to do with the much-needed extra space granted from the theater’s recent construction. Such great use of the space, the comedic pacing really kept the material fresh. Green’s direction was spot on here. At some point, the jokes in this are just not so clever and go so lowbrow that it’s more cheesy than funny.

Lead Ashley Montgomery plays the bitter Sylvia, who, among the characters in this play, has one of the strongest story arcs. Montgomery, more than satisfied with this over-the-top performance, matches zany energy with Shelby Perlis (Marjorie), who’s not only firing on all cylinders with the delivery but is carrying a heavy load in more ways than one (you’ll get the joke if you see the play). Garrett Claud brings the arrogant and self-obsessed Beau to the stage with a more restrained performance that balances well alongside Montgomery’s very gregarious actions.