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Murders' Cast is Sure to Have Audiences Dying of Laughter
This is part one in a four-part series about the Poplar Pike
Playhouse's upcoming production The Musical Comedy Murders
of 1940.
What do you get when you put a German maid, a NY policeman, an
Irish tenor, an eccentric millionaire, and a group of overzealous show
people inside of a mansion full of mystery? The Poplar Pike Playhouse's
latest production: The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 by John
Bishop is the answer. From the first scene to the last, audiences will
be transported to a world of mystery, murder, and mayhem.
This hilarious comedy centers around a theatre production staff trapped
in a home with murderers among them. The play is essentially a brain
teaser: who killed who? and what's going to happen next? Thanks to a
bizarre collection of trap doors, hidden entrances, and revolving
bookcases the audience will never know who or what might appear.
Fans of the murder mystery genre will welcome piecing together the
play's various clues, leads, motives, and assumed identities. Comedy
fans will revel in the show's mix of zany, fast-paced humor.
Audiences of all ages will enjoy Murders balance of slapstick comedy
and sophisticated wit. "The Poplar Pike Playhouse hasn't done a comedy
in such a long time. "I think the humor and old-time mystery element
will really draw people to the show, " says director Leonid Mazor. With a
good cast and a great script, there's no mystery to why Murders is
sure to be another PPP success. Set in Westchester, New York during a
blizzard in the 1940s, the show's cast must learn how to play larger
than life personalities who lived during the golden age of radio and the
big screen. Each of the playwright's outrageous characters poses a
unique acting challenge. "Whenever I'm on stage I have to remember
that I'm in the 40's. So I have to walk differently, talk differently,
and even think differently. I must constantly be aware of what my
character would do," says Stephanie Shotwell, playing the role of
novice chorus girl, Nikki Crandall. There's more to capturing these
particular characters than meets the eye. Aside from perfecting
the quirky personalities, actors are also working to master varying dialects.
From a German maid to a Brooklyn comedian, nearly all of the cast
members have to assume a new voice. "The accents we're using affect
everything about our characters. It's exciting to learn a new accent.
It just adds to the comedy of the show. I think people are going to
love it," says senior Cara Austin, who plays the abrasive German
maid Helsa Wenzel. The cast for The Musical Comedy Murders of
1940 includes Cara Austin, Vicki Beall, Boomer Brigman, Danny Gomez,
Eula Hinds, Jeffrey Ingram, Courtney Mickens, Stephanie Shotwell,
Ryan Sweeney, and Anthony White. The hilarious results of this group's
hard work can be seen at the Poplar Pike Playhouse when The
Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 opens December 2nd. The show runs
through December 11th. Curtain time is 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale
November 8th. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for students. The
corporate sponsor for this production is Germantown Association, Inc.;
Board of Directors members are Paul Cardelli, Bobby Lanier, Thane
Smith, and George Walters. The Poplar Pike Playhouse is the theatre
complex located on the campus of Germantown High School. Reservations
can be made by calling the Poplar Pike Playhouse Box Office at 755-7775
between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to
5 p.m. on Saturday. Blocks of tickets are available for school groups
and theatre parties at reduced rates. The Poplar Pike Arts Guild, the
support group for the Playhouse, will sponsor an opening night benefit
on December 2nd. The prices of the tickets for this special
performance and reception are $14 and $16 and may be purchased
by calling Jean Hinds at 757-4508. All other ticket purchases can be made
by calling the Poplar Pike Playhouse Box Office at (901) 755-7775.
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