Town Players of Newtown ends its 2025 season with the tense and engaging character drama The Country House.

The story centers on a brood of famous and longing-to-be-famous creative artists who have gathered at their summer home during the Williamstown Theatre Festival. This is at the request of Anna (played by Noel Desiato), a legendary actress and the family’s matriarch, who wanted company on the first anniversary of her daughter’s death.

However, when the weekend takes an unexpected turn, everyone is forced to improvise, inciting a series of simmering jealousies, romantic outbursts, and passionate soul-searching.

As noted in the playbill, The Country House is playwright Donald Margulies’ tribute to the highly acclaimed “master of middle-class ennui” Anton Chekov. It weaves the image of a picture perfect family and relentlessly unravels it, revealing the flaws they so desperately try to keep hidden.

Under the helm of director Terry Sagedy, Town Players of Newtown make this escalating conflict fascinating to watch play out.

Desiato does a great job navigating the brash and confident Anna. She lights up the room with a bold smile as she sweeps away problems she would rather not think about. However, Desiato impresses most when her character’s confidence is shaken.

The way she carries herself changes, physically withdrawing from others as she is wracked with grief.

Susie (Tess Signorelli) is a delight whenever she takes the stage. Signorelli aptly balances her character’s whip-smart, acerbic attitude and sincere compassion for her family, particularly for her deceased mother.

When she drops that combativeness and shares a genuine conversation with her family, it’s Signorelli’s strong acting that makes her character’s pain feel so real.

Elliot (Rick Calvo) is Susie’s uncle, cynical and insecure from becoming a failed actor. Calvo gives an incredibly strong performance as Elliot, whose searing insecurities are the heart of the play’s latter half.

He perfectly captures that initial perception of a cool, lovable uncle who spends his days sleeping in, only to lash out in anger and sorrow through harrowing expressions and physical acting. The character works as well as it does due to Calvo tapping into his vulnerability over and over again.

Walter (Dean M. Alexander) is Susie’s confident father, who boasts a successful career as a film and stage director. His general carefree, put-together demeanor is challenged by the conflicts of the weekend. Alexander brings humanity to the role despite his character very much being a sellout film director, particularly in moments when he opens up about the grief of losing his wife.

He also shares some sweet moments with Nell (Annette George), a mature and intelligent actress, as well as Walter’s new flame. She serves as the straight man to the cast’s other more chaotic characters, but it is in serving as a foil where George’s Nell shines.

George bounces off the others with calm and collected composure, making those moments where she feels frustrated hit as hard as they need to. She sells this with such charm that you can buy why the other characters in the play either love or feel conflicted about her.

Michael (Gus Bottazzi) rounds out the eclectic cast of characters. Bottazzi perfectly captures the charismatic actor with his performance, what with how he confidently moves throughout the room and talks with others. He charms the audience the same way he charms the other characters, and draws them in to his struggles with celebrity and poor decisions over the course of the weekend.

Everyone gets a chance in the spotlight through The Country House’s revolving door of character combinations. Seeing how everyone plays off of each other throughout the show is one part of what makes it so engaging to watch. After all, it is the death of Kathy, Anna’s daughter, which serves as the undercurrent of the play. Her absence, even a year later, can be felt thanks to the acting from the talented cast. It’s how the actors portray that grief, how they lift those raw, volatile emotions from screenplay to stage, that sticks with you even after you leave the theater.

The strong character acting is paired well with the quaint country house set. It’s filled with just enough interesting trinkets or souvenirs to capture the audience’s attention, but not take away from the actors center stage. Dynamic lighting choices, such as for when the power goes off, also work to heighten the mood and atmosphere.

Treat yourself this holiday season and don’t miss Town Players of Newtown’s production of The Country House.

Performances of The Country House continue weekends through December 20. For more information, ticket prices, and show times, visit newtownplayers.org.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.