Otterbein brews ^ot of ‘Coffee’ By Michael Grossbwg Dispatch Theater Critic . ^TreWER REVIEW . Nobody does old-fashioned mysteries better than Otterbein Summer Theatre, which traditionally offers a Black Coffee, Otterbein Summer Theatre’s student pro­ duction of Agatha Christie’s mystery. Directed by John whodunit every August J For the finale of its enjoyable, 3Qth anniVers^ Stefano. season, Otterbein has chosen ofie of Atatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot...... ^ Vaughan lesser-known murder mysteries. 1 I Miss Amory...... Victona Libeitore Black Coffee, which opened last nfehtlto a delighted, Richard Amoiy...... ” . ^ sold-out crowd, is a nifty whodunit set jn 1928 at Sir Lucia Amory...... Emily (^tton Claud Amory’s posh country home near Lolndon,- Otterbein “poirs” creamy whodunit with stirring Poirot Director John Stefano brushes off ^ost specks of Being presented at 8 tonight through Saturday and dust from this minor 1930 i«riod piece, which gets off to 2 p.m. Sunday — through Aug. 11 — in the Campus a slow start before kicking into gear soon after Amory’s Center Theatre, 100 W. Home St., Westerville. death. Who poisoned his black coffee — and why? Tickets cost $10-$14. Call 823-1109. There is no doubt that Hercule Poirot will find the answer — or that Ed Vaughan’s stirring performance is perspicacious Poirot. There is a method to his mOTi^ but the best reason to taste this Coffee. it is his mania for neatness that guides Poirot s little His dashing entrance sparked a burst of applause gray cells” to the final clue. . last night &x)m Otterbein regulars, who have come to Supported by a solid cast and a top-notch design appreciate the charms of this entertaining actor. team, Vaughan makes Christie’s formula fi^h again. r European charm and a hungry intelligence are the Emily Marie Cotton is vulnerable and vali^t as leitmotifs of Vaughan’s star turn. Even throwaway Lucia Amory, the initial suspect, while Corey BriD fits dialogue — a simple “I see” — provok^ laughter. the bill of a true British gentleman as her husband. Vaughan is reprising one of his most important Also stirred into the creamy confection are Cara roles. His Poirot was the first guest professional per­ Miller’s Hollywood-glamorous Barbara Amory, Steven formance at Players Theatre, which presented Black Lhamon’s shady Dr. Carelli, Jason Morrissette’s pohte Coffee in 1987. Over the decade since, Vaughan has lost Captain, and Christopher DePaola’s proper buti^. some excess poundage, while gaining enough additional The handsome production boasts a wood pianeled expertise and subtlety of manner to be even more library-den by scenic designer Madeleine Sobota ^ persuasive as the portly Belgian detective. smart costumes by Janice Benning, with the bunushed Vaughan exudes palpable delight and an amusingly period glow enhanced by D. Glen Vanderbilt s lighting. arrogant confidence in exercising his powers of oberva- “I think I play my part rather well,” Poirot says with smug satisfaction ^er the third-act twist. tion, deduction and cat-and-mouse deception. The clues may be minimal — a dropped key, That, he does. So does Vaughan and the rest of toe disappearing coffee cups, a stolen bomb formula, the 13-member ensemble. One of central Ohio’s leadmg “noise of tearing silk” — but they provide the key for the actors has returned to one of his best roles in triumph. ENTERTAINMF.NT ^ ARTS ‘Black Coffee’ conclufelummer Son By JULANNE HOHBACH News 4 Public OpinJon Reporter day matinees are at 2 p.m,. Black Coffee will be presented July 31-Aua all other shows start at 8 Audiences will be pouring ‘college’s Campus p.m. into the Campus Center Center Theater, 100 W. Home St. Tickets can Tickets are $10 for Sun­ Theatre next week to get be reserved by calling 823-1109. day matinees and opening their fill of Black Coffee, Ot- night, $12 for Wednesday tcrbcin Summer Theatre’s and Thursday and $14 for Iasi production of the sea- Friday and Saturday. To re­ son. la for an atom bomb when 100 W. Home St., July 31- he dies from poisoned cof­ serve tickets, call the Otter­ The college will present Aug. 4 and Aug. 7-11, The bein Summer Theatre box the 1934 Agatha Christie fee. His devoted family, sec­ retary, butler and an Italian opening night performance office at 823-1109 weekdays work July 31-Aug. 11. The will begin at 7;30 p.m. Sun- from 1-8:30 p.m. little-known murder mys­ visitor all had motives to tery promises to keep audi­ plot his death. It turns out ences busy with red herring his family is not quite as de­ plots surrounding the real voted as he thought — most killer, which convince the needed his money and for­ ARTS BRIEFS audience that every charac­ mula for the explosive. A blackmailer also enters the ter could have done it. picture. Physicist Sir Claude Amory has created a formu- It is up to Christie’s infa­ Country western dance to be held mous Hercule Poirot, played by Equity actor Ed Vaughn, to find out who­ din Shrine Temple, 3850 Stelzer Road.Friday at the Alad­ dunnit. Vaughn played Colrk partner dances will be included, roirot in this work at Play- i-ost IS >5 per person. Theater many years ago dpirf m * * P '"” followed by continuous said Director John Stefano,’ dance music from 9 p.m. to midnight. so the role is a reprise for ror more information call 476-5545. him. The 13-member cast also includes French profes­ sor James Carr as the owner Summer season closes in mystery of the mansion where Amory is killed. ends'anniversary season Stefano said this is the presemed Juk ,h u ^oing first production of Black Ktre‘;'lS'\v"Hor§.^'''- '' Coffee for Otterbein, though me college has done other Onlnin' ‘|.''■ooted by John Stefano. Christie works. Summer au­ Upening night performance will begin at 7 30 d m Sim diences are different than .“V''" those for the regular season, $1 for ^ Sunday matinees and opening night nc said, and they always en­ Sam dL ^"‘1514 for Friday an^ joy mysteries. oaiuraay. to reserve tickets ail 823-1109. ^ In an Otterbein tradition, audience members will get a chance at the second inter­ College library offers antique dolls mission to guess whodunnit for themselves. Those who gle\"m be on'dln7" Westerville resident Shirley Wy- guess correctly will be en­ ^ou4^^°^SS--^^Sept.b^ tered in a random drawing for a small prize. Black Coffee runs at the I ^For more information call Mary Ellen Armentrout at 823- Campus Center Theatre, OHIO NEWS BUREAU INC. CLEVELAND, OHIO 44115 216/241-0675 COLUtlBU'j GUfIRDIfiH COM'S. OH.

flUG-8-9G Tredwell (Christopher DePaola) a bit too eager to gossip. And exactly why is Sir Claud’s voluptuous niece Bar­ bara (Cara Miller) doing her best to k stiff mug of mystery further distract Poirot’s already suffi­ ciently distracted sidekick. Captain Ott^h^n brews Christie s Black Coffee Hastings (Jason Morrissette)? Christie throws in enough red her­ <5< curtain on its 30th summer season rings for a seafood buffet. By Jay WEnz with a 1930 British mystery as bracing It all plays out against the luxuri­ as a hefty mug of its title beverage. ous backdrop of scenic designer / / ■ ■ yself, I think I play my part Madeleine Sobota’s sculpted mantle well," crows Hercule Poirot Black Coffee, nimbly directed by the­ ■ ■ ■I ater and dance department chair John and wood-shelved library. lyi in his slightly tortured Eng- “Symmetry is everything,” Poirot lish near the end of Black Stefano, also boasts a strong support­ Ill ing cast that casts a bit of suspicion on observes in Act 'Two, offering simulta­ Coffee. Agatha Christie’s Belgian de­ neous glimpses into Christie’s method, tective has just solved a sticky little virtually everybody in the play. The enigmatic Italian Dr. Carelli the detective’s psyche, and the mys­ murder by, in effect, staging his own (Steven Lhamort) knows his poisons tery’s denouement. He’s wrong, how­ little play within the play, and has and may also know more about Lucia ever. Good acting, strong directing, every reason to be proud. Amory (Emily Marie Cotton) than he’s and intelligent design also play their Ed Vaughan has equal reason to parts. And like Poirot himself. Otter­ crow. He has just brought Poirot to letting on. Her husband Richard /Corey Brill) could have knocked of bein plays them well. CG fastidious life on the Otterbein Cam­ pus Center stage. Every two-fmgered his father Sir Claud Amory (James Carr) for the money. Perhaps the vic­ Agatha Christie's Black Coffee con­ tap of his temple, every thoughtful tim's sister Caroline (Victoria Liber- tinues August 7-lOat 8p.m. and August pause, every simple phrase contri­ tore) is slightly too talkative, his sec­ II at 2p.m.. in Otterbein’s Campus Cen^ butes to an exacting and delightful retary Edward Raynor (Aaron Ramey) ter Theatre. 100 W. Home St.. Westep^Ht^ characterization. a mite too solicitous, or his butler Call 823-1109. 1 Otterbein College brings down the