The Cottage
Hartford Stage
By: Karen Isaacs - Feb 02, 2026
How you react to a play may be influenced by so many things. My reaction to The Cottage now at Hartford Stage through, Sunday, February 8 is a good example.
At some point in the development of this work (it appeared on Broadway in 2023), the author, producers, or marketing people decided to describe it as inspired by Nöel Coward. If you know Coward’s work, it leads you have certain expectations of what you will see.
Unfortunately, The Cottage by Sandy Rustin,has no intention of fulfilling those expectations. Coward was known for his sophisticated, witty dialogue and his finesse. The Cottage displays little of these.
It is more like the British sex farces such as No Sex Please, We’re British, than Coward’s Design for Living or Private Lives. Yes, Coward used some physical comedy at times, but this play, at least as directed by Zoë Golub-Sass overdoes it.
Rather than sophistication, it goes for over-the-top characterizations in performances
The premise could lend itself to a sophisticated drawing room comedy. When Sylvia telegraphs her husband and her sister-in-law, who happens to be the wife of Sylvie’s lover (Richard), and reveals all, they show up at her mother-in-law’s luxurious cottage outside London. But to Sylvia’s amazement, her husband and sister-in-law are not all that upset; it seems they have also had a very, very close relationship for years. Soon, Dierdre arrives, proclaiming that her divorce is final and she is ready to marry Richard. It appears that Sylvia ‘s lover/brother-in-law has had a long-term affair with Dierdre, who proclaimed that her husband is en route and that he has killed her previous lovers.
I won’t give away more, but let’s say that the playwright uses it as a message for female empowerment.
The Hartford Stage production features a gorgeous set by Tim Mackabee; you will want to move into the house, or at least rent it. Hunter Kaczorowski is responsible for the 1923-inspired costumes. The costumes for Hartford Stage’s fall production of The Rope, also set in the 1920s, were more flattering and attractive.
The hard-working cast is hampered by the characterizations that either seem to lack coherence or are exaggerated. Kate MacCluggage, as Marjorie (Richard’s wife and Clarke’s lover) fares the best. She is the one character that could populate a Coward play. Mary Cavett as Sylvia also manages to find the core of the character though she is burdened with delivering “the message” which is hammered home unnecessarily. Why does the author feel we need it spelled out?
The other actors fare worse. Jetta Juriansz as Dierdre is hampered by a confusing backstory, a mind-boggling voice, and dialogue that has her sound crazy one moment, inane the next, and philosophical the third. You cannot understand why Richard has taken up with her.
Both Craig Wesley Divino as Clarke, Sylvia’s husband, and Jordan Sobel as Beau, Dierdre’s mysterious husband, can only be described as overly twee – the British term that is Merriman- Webster defines as affectedly or excessively dainty, cute, or delicate. I would add, pretentious as well. The result is that neither character seems authentic.
Admittedly, many in the audience laughed heartily at the antics of the characters. You may also.
But if you were expecting sophistication, you will be disappointed.
Contact HartfordStage.org for tickets.