Ten Chimneys takes a close look at the backstage lives of legendary Broadway stage stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Set on the couple’s Wisconsin estate in 1938, love triangles and family dysfunction reveal themselves when the rehearsal process for an upcoming production of Chekhov’s The Seagull becomes a true-to-life plot involving a young actress named Uta Hagen.
What Is the Story of Ten Chimneys?
Set in 1938 on a sprawling Wisconsin estate, Ten Chimneys is based on the true story of legendary stage couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The actors, who are preparing to star together in an upcoming production of Chekhov’s The Seagull, invite the cast of the play, including comic actor Sydney Greenstreet, to stay and rehearse at their estate, Ten Chimneys, before setting out on tour. When a young actress named Uta Hagen arrives to play Nina, Lunt is overjoyed, creating a rift between the actor and his wife. As drama ensues and secrets are revealed, the actors’ lives begin to closely mimic the plot of the production they’re rehearsing.
