‘Royal Family’ opens at Shakespeare Theatre’s season

To theatergoers in the late 1920s, the members of the Barrymore family of actors - particularly Ethel, Lionel, and John - really did constitute theatrical royalty.

In 2015, the only Barrymore that most audiences know directly is Drew.

So the 1927 play “The Royal Family,” which is loosely based on the Barrymores, would seem to have little to say to contemporary theatergoers. Right?

Wrong, according to members of the cast of the production of “The Royal Family,” which opens the 2015 season at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.

They argue that this story about the members of the Cavendish family, for all its comedic elements, actually makes serious comments on such topics as the balance between a career and personal happiness.

“It’s a timeless message,” says Roxanna Hope, who plays Julie Cavendish, a star of the Broadway stage. “Do you follow your heart and your instincts, or do you do what society expects you to do?”

The production of the comedy by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, directed by Bonnie J. Monte, runs May 27 through June 21.

In an interview earlier this year, Monte - who is celebrating her 25th year as the theater’s artistic director, explained that almost every play this season deals with family.

“The Royal Family” fits that description on two levels, according to Benjamin Sterling, who portrays Tony Cavendish, the dashing brother of Julie Cavendish.

“This play has a great deal to say about family and the ties that bind us, whether we like it or not,” says Sterling. “But it’s also about the world of theater as a family, and that’s something I can relate to.”

“It’s about the ridiculousness of our world,” continues Sterling. “People in the theater live by live by strange rules, and those ties can be as strong as blood ties.”

Both Hope and Sterling note that their characters are parodies of two of the more famous members of the Barrymore family. Julie is based on Ethel Barrymore, while the hard-drinking Tony corresponds to John Barrymore.

Other cast members include Elizabeth Shepherd, who plays Fanny Cavendish, the matriarch of the family (based on Georgie Drew Barrymore).

“Normally, I play off the script and go where the script tells me to go,” says Sterling. “Bur because so much in the play is based on John Barrymore, I did read about him. Tony is very much an extrapolation of Barrymore as a young man.”

For her part, Hope read about the Barrymores and also scrutinized the 1932 film “Rasputin and the Empress,” which is the only surviving film that features Ethel, John, and Lionel Barrymore. (Lionel has no counterpart in “The Royal Family.”)

Eventually, though research can only take an actor so far, Hope says. “Research is helpful anecdotally. But there comes a point where that has to stop. I’m playing Julie, not Ethel Barrymore. I’m not adopting Ethel’s mannerisms.”

Hope sees the relationship between Julie and Fanny as one of the central points in the play.

“Julie loves her mother, but she’s pulled in other directions,” says Hope. “She loves her brother. She loves her daughter Gwen (played by Samantha Bruce). She wants to love Gil (Patrick Boll), the romantic lead.”

“But Julie also loves the theater,” Hope says. “Julie wants to have her work but also to have children. It’s interesting to look at a play that we think is decades old and finds it says something that’s very contemporary.”

Another theme that “The Royal Family” touches on is aging. “Many of the characters are struggling with the idea of having a ‘normal’ life while staying in the theater,” says Sterling. “That’s something that Fanny struggles with.”

Both actors believe that audiences will be receptive to both the humor and the heart in “The Royal Family.” “This play surprised me, and I think it’ll surprise you, too,” says Hope.

THE ROYAL FAMILY

WHAT: This 1927 comedy by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber focuses on three generations of the Cavendish family of actors, who bear considerable resemblance to the Barrymore family. However, the play touches on larger issues of family, work, and art.

WHEN: May 27 through June 21, performance schedule includes:

Wednesdays, May 27 and June 3, 10, and 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursdays, May 28 and June 4, 11, and 18 at 8 p.m.

Fridays, May 29 and June 5, 12, and 19 at 8 p.m.

Saturdays, May 30 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; June 6, 13, and 20 at 2 and 8 p.m.

Sundays, May 31 and June 7, 14, and 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, June 2, 9, and 16 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, 36 Madison Ave., Madison

TICKETS: $15 to $70. Student rush tickets available half-hour before performance. INFORMATION: 973-408-5600 or www.ShakespeareNJ.org.