“Don’t Drink the Water” Enjoys Successful Opening Weekend

Pegasus Production Company’s fall comedy, Woody Allen’s Don’t Drink the Water, debuted last Friday at the CBA Henderson Theater, welcoming the largest opening night audience Pegasus has seen for a fall production in the last five years.

Families, students, teachers, and alumni visited the Academy to support the CBA students in the cast and crew who have worked diligently over the past two months in the cast and on construction, tech, costume, and house crews.

“I loved this show. I was the person laughing so hard that I got a headache after,” said CBA alumnus and professional actor Skip Robinson ’10, who returned to his roots for a performance. “Everyone stepped up and really committed to their characters, making it one of the best shows I’ve seen at CBA. Also, my hat’s off to the tech crew for creating such a believable and functional set. I’m a very proud alumnus of this organization.”

A cascade of comedy and a solid hit on Broadway, Don’t Drink the Water takes place inside an American embassy behind the Iron Curtain. An American tourist, a caterer by trade, and his wife and daughter rush into the embassy two steps ahead of the police, who suspect them of spying and picture taking. It’s not much of a refuge, for the ambassador is absent and his son, now in charge, has been expelled from a dozen countries and the continent of Africa. Nevertheless, they carefully and frantically plot their escape, and the ambassador’s son and the caterer’s daughter even have time to fall in love. Woody Allen’s 1966 comedic masterpiece pokes fun at the communist hysteria and foreign policy blunders that characterized the Cold War era while also promoting acceptance of cultural and ideological differences.

Don’t Drink the Water will play performances on Thursday, November 16 at 5 pm; Friday, November 17 at 7 pm; and Saturday, November 18 at 7 pm at the Henderson Theater. Prior to the November 16 performance, the Student Council will hold a free dinner for CBA students.

Additionally, partnered with Our Special Place, Pegasus will donate half of the proceeds from the November 17 show to the Matawan charity. That performance will be geared towards children with autism and their families, with some sound effects during the show being quieted to accommodate these special guests.

Tickets cost $10 for adults (over 16), $7 for children, and $5 for seniors and students of CBA. Tickets can be purchased at cba.booktix.com and at the door. Any CBA student who brings his student ID to a performance will receive a free dress down day on Monday, November 20. More information about the show and about Pegasus Production Company can be found at cbalincroftnj.org/theatre or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.