(815) 758-1940 | Stagecoachers.Com
(815) 758-1940 | stagecoachers.com
1 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 1 Sponsored by Rep. Bob Pritchard Show your The Game’s Afoot ticket and receive a
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Appetizer value up to $8. Valid from Thurs., Oct. 20, to Sun., Oct. 30, 2016. #"! " " Dine-in only. One free appetizer per table per visit. " "
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2 • Stage Coach Players 2016 THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS KishHealth System Anonymous THANKMarch 10 to 20, YOU 2016 2016 SPONSORSAugust 11 to 21, 2016 THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANKJerry & Annette YOU Johns 2016 Stage SPONSORS Coach Players April 28 to May 6, 2016 September 15 to 25, 2016 THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANKKishHealth YOU System 2016Rep. SPONSORS Bob Pritchard June 2 to 12, 2016 THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORSOctober 20 to 30, 2016 THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS THANK YOU 2016 SPONSORS
THANKStage Coach YOU Players 2016First SPONSORS Midwest Bank THANKJuly 7 to 17, YOU 2016 2016 SPONSORSNov. 26 to Dec. 4, 2016 2 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 3 Stage Coach Players PRESENTS The Game’s Afoot Written by Ken Ludwig
It is December 1936 and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast-members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Then it’s up to Gillette himself, as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the killer before the next victim appears. The danger and hilarity are non-stop in this glittering whodunit set during the Christmas holidays.
Directed by Amanda Smothers
Production Team Scott Montavon, Set Designer Scott Montavon, Master Builder Amanda Smothers, Costume Designer Mark Hunyard, Lighting Designer Jason Ostenburg, Lighting Assistant Amanda Smothers, Abbey Lippert, & Kelsey Hoyle, Properties Directors Allison Hunter, Sound Designer Abbey Lippert, Stage Manager
The Game’s Afoot is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. All authorized performance materials are also supplied by Samuel French, Inc. 45 W. 25th Street, New York, NY 10010 Phone 866-598-8449 | Fax 221-206-1429 www.samuelfrench.com
There will be a 15 minute intermission. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. Photography of any kind is prohibited.
4 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Cast List (In Order of Appearance) Felix Geisel...... Scott Montavon William Gillette...... Denny Boynton Aggie Wheeler...... Bonnie Miller Madge Geisel...... Christy Torian Simon Bright...... Michael Mattingly Martha Gillette...... Kathy Hewitt Daria Chase...... Amaria Von Dran Inspector Goring...... Gloria Dennison
Setting The living room of the mansion of William Gillette on the Connecticut River near East Haddam, Connecticut
Time December 1936
Act 1 Scene 1
Act 1 Scene 2
Act 1 Scene 3
15 minute intermission
Act 2 Scene 1
Act 2 Scene 2
4 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 5 Director’s Notes
After seeing a production of The Game’s Afoot at Drury Lane, I was motivated to direct the show myself. I was inspired by the story and its playful mix of comedy, thrills, and mystery, so I was thrilled when I was asked to direct the show this year at Stage Coach Players!
My PhD in English, specializing in nineteenth-century British literature, has given me a strong background of analysis and familiarity with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his beloved Sherlock Holmes stories. This knowledge helped me breathe life into this fictionalized story of the actor who made Holmes famous on stage: William Gillette. You’ll learn a bit about Gillette in this play, but essentially, he wrote and starred in his stage play featuring Sherlock Holmes and appeared on stage as Holmes over 1,300 times over a span of three decades. While Sidney Paget, a Victorian illustrator for Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories appearing in The Strand magazine, originated and popularized the image of Holmes in the deerstalker cap, Gillette was the first to depict Holmes with a curved pipe in his depiction of the famous detective. Our play takes place in December 1936, but the real Gillette died in April of 1937 at the ripe age of 83. Thus, the events of the story are fabricated, but Gillette really did build a castle in Connecticut, which still stands in Gillette Castle State Park, open to visitors if you are interested in a trip to the East Coast!
I hope that my take on Ken Ludwig’s hilarious and startling play proves entertaining to you, our audience! My amazing cast and crew have done a remarkable job bringing my vision for the show to life, and I would be remiss not to thank them liberally for their diligence and commitment. Thank you all for being spectacular!
6 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Special Thanks
Thank you to all those who helped bring Gillette Castle to life: David and Jan Booth, Lynn and Tim O’Tool, Todd Pope, Scott Montavan, Gloria Dennison, Roberta Maxfield, Kelsey Hoyle, Abbey Lippert, Bonnie Miller, Mike Mattingly, and Denny Boynton.
Thank you to Tom and Shari Pearcy for the beautiful settee.
Kishwaukee College Theatre Presents November 9 – 12th 7:30 pm Love Letters Students/Seniors/Staff: $8 General Public: $10 written by A. R. Gurney Kishwaukee College 21193 Malta Road • Malta, Illinois 60150 For more information call 815-825-9374 or email [email protected]
Tickets directed by on sale at Nadine Franklin the door. www.kishwaukeecollege.edu
6 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 7 Who’s Who Amanda Smoth- Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect ers (Director) - Up? and Miracle on 34th Street last Amanda Smothers season. She would like to thank all is excited to be of her amazing friends and family directing anoth- for their continued love and support. er Stage Coach She would also like to thank Aman- Players produc- da, Kelsey and her awesome cast for tion! Her last directorial effort was all their hard work! To you the au- the 2013 adaptation of A Christmas dience she would like to say “Thank Carol, which she also wrote. She last you for coming! Sit back, relax, and appeared onstage at Stage Coach enjoy the show!” Players as Lois in Bill W. and Dr. Bob and Princess Fiona in Shrek the Kelsey Hoyle Musical. Other Stage Coach Players (Assistant Stage roles include Belle in A Christmas Manager) - Carol, Sarah Brown in Guys and Kelsey is beyond Dolls, and Kay in Father of the Bride, excited to be work as well as an Apostle’s Wife in Jesus on The Games Christ Superstar and Zebulan’s Wife Afoot! This is her in Joseph and the Amazing Techni- second season with Stage Coach. Last color Dreamcoat. Other memorable season she assisted backstage on Do roles include Ronnette in Little Shop Black Patent Leather Shoes Really of Horrors, Belle in Beauty and the Reflect Up? She also was seen on- Beast, Alice in Alice in Wonder- stage as a Zombie in Night of the Liv- land, Abigail in The Crucible, Cha- ing Dead, and as Mara the ruthless Cha in Grease, and Helen in Bye Bye lawyer in Miracle on 34th Street. She Birdie. Amanda earned her B.A. in would like to thank the amazingly Theatre from Marquette Universi- talented and hilarious cast, Aman- ty (’04), and has been performing da, and Abbey for making this show for over twenty years. When she is wonderful and tons of fun. She would not on stage, Amanda is an Adjunct like to thank everyone for coming English Professor and Writing Tutor. and hopes you enjoy the show!
Abbey Lippert Denny Boyn- (Stage Man- ton (Sherlock ager) - Abbey is Holmes/Wil- thrilled to be part liam Gillette) - of this amazing Denny Boynton production. This has been active at is her second show the Stage Coach of the season having been seen as Theater since 2012. He’s been in sev- various characters including Reg- eral productions over that time span, gie Fluty and Zubaida Ula in The including Frank Gilbreth in Cheaper Laramie Project back in April. She by the Dozen, the French Taunter/ was part of the crew for Do Black Tim the Enchanter in Spamalot,
8 • Stage Coach Players 2016 and Ben, the sole “survivor” in last and Kelsey for all their support, and season’s The Night of the Living the entire cast for making this a fabu- Dead. Denny is a current member of lous show! the Stage Coach Board of Directors as well. He is excited to be a part of Scott Montavon this magnificent production, cast and (Moriarty/Felix crew, and wishes all of you the best Giesel) - Scott is of luck in solving the mystery before excited to be part the end of the show. As always, Den- of such a wonder- ny is extremely grateful to his lovely ful production. spouse, Maria, and his children for Past shows at their patience and understanding Stage Coach include Heaven Can about his “hobby.” Wait, Bus Stop, Leaving Iowa, and The Dining Room. During the days Kathy Hewitt Scott can be found plying his trade as (Martha Gil- an ironworker all over northern Illi- lette) - Kathy is nois. He lives in Sycamore with wife thrilled to appear Cheri, 2 cats, and a rather friendly in a Stage Coach front yard squirrel named Duchess Players production Chirps. that is NOT a mu- sical! She has performed in numer- Christy Torian ous musicals with Stage Coach Play- (Marian/Madge ers including The Sound of Music, as Giesel) - Christy Sister Margaretta, Aunt Eller in Okla- has been a mem- homa, and was also in Joseph and the ber of Stagecoach Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Players since 2012. Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Dolly, Fid- She has been dler on the Roof, Curtains, How to involved in several productions, and Succeed in Business Without Really favorite roles include Martha Watson Trying, and Mary Poppins. She in White Christmas and Lois Wil- also appeared twice in A Christmas son in Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Christy Carol, worked backstage for High hopes that you will enjoy the show, School Musical, Not Now Darling, and that you’ll come back in Novem- Spamalot, and Night of the Living ber to hear her sing in ‘70 Seasons of Dead, played in the pit band for Stagecoach’! Annie, and is a member of the Stage Coach Players Box Office staff. Other Bonnie Miller theatre experiences include: Cin- – Alice/Aggie derella, Little Shop of Horrors, and Wheeler Grease, and was an assistant director Bonnie Miller for Children’s Community Theater’s is thrilled to be 101 Dalmatians. Kathy works at the working with this Crum-Halsted Agency and lives in extremely talent- Sycamore with her dog Lucy. She ed and hilarious cast and crew! She would like to thank Amanda, Abbey, is excited to lend her horror movie
8 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 9 scream to another October show at Amaria is giddy to be making her Stagecoach after playing Barbara in Stage Coach debut in this wonder- Night of the Living Dead last year. fully hilarious production. You may She has also appeared in a number have spotted her in various produc- of other plays and musicals, most tions at The Albright Theatre. As well recently including Mary Poppins, Do as originating the role of Cagney in Black Patent Leather Shoes Really A Midnight Clear at the Batavia Arts Reflect Up?, and The Wedding from Council and most recently, in The Hell dinner theatre. She would like Riverfront Playhouse’s production of to thank her 8-year-old acting coach, Crumbs in Bed. You can usually find Zoe, for drilling her on lines, and her writing, playing guitar, baking up her parents, Pam and Don, for their something delicious, and working on constant support. perfecting her Tiny Tim and Pee-wee
Michael Mat- Herman impressions. She wants to tingly – Count thank her super coolio cast cast/crew Zerlinski/Si- for not only putting up with her weir- mon Bright do shenanigans, but making this an Michael is no amazing and memorable experience. stranger to the You guys are the best thing since “murder/mystery” sliced bread. genre. He was in last year’s produc- tion of The Butler Did It at The Al- Gloria Denni- bright Theater in Batavia, IL, as well son – Inspector as two different murder/mystery/ Goring dinner theater productions direct- Gloria Dennison ed by Stagecoach’s own Sue Price is very excited to Johnson (The Haunting and The be on stage again! Wedding From Hell). Some of his Gloria may be best known for her favorite roles have been Mortimer directing. She last directed Spama- from Arsenic And Old Lace directed lot in 2015 and has directed several by Mr. Moriarty himself, Scott Mon- tovan, Benedick from Shakespeare’s musicals and plays, including Lend Much Ado About Nothing directed Me A Tenor written by Ken Ludwig in by Scott Morris...... and the play you 1994. Gloria has also appeared on stage, are watching tonight. Direct quote in Cinderella, Leaving Iowa and Bye, from the actor himself: “I’m hav- Bye Birdie as well as Post Mor- ing more fun doing this play than I tem which was also written by Ken should be allowed to have!” Ludwig. She also works off stage in many jobs such as running the light Amaria Von board, doing props, stage managing Dran – Daria and producing. Gloria would like to Chase thank her husband, Tom for his con- Self proclaimed stant loving, and laughing support. weirdo and lover of all things nerdy,
10 • Stage Coach Players 2016 10 • Stage Coach Players 2016 Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot • 11 Stage Coach Players Proudly Presents
Directed by Michele McClane, Nika Morton and Cortney Newby
For tickets You’re invited… call (815) 758-1940 or visit November 4 & 5, 2016 stagecoachers.com 126 S. 5th Street at 7:30 p.m. DeKalb, Il 60115