FLORIDA REPERTORY THEATRE 2016-2017 SEASON

HISTORIC ARCADE THEATRE • FORT MYERS RIVER DISTRICT ROBERT CACIOPPO, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PRESENTS

STARRING ensemble member BRENDAN POWERS* and MOLLY COYNE* • MATTHEW FAISON* • COURTNEY FEIMAN • BRIAN HATCH TAYLOR ANTHONY MILLER* • NATE RITSEMA • KATE YOUNG*

DIRECTED BY ROBERT CACIOPPO** ensemble member

SET DESIGNER COSTUME DESIGNER LIGHTING DESIGNER SOUND DESIGNER DENNIS MAULDEN*** CHARLENE GROSS*** TODD O. WREN*** JOHN KISELICA ensemble member PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER ASST. STAGE MANAGER ASST. SOUND DESIGNER AMY MASSARI* AARON MARTIN RHIAN FRANCHEBOIS ensemble member

THE MOUSETRAP is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

2016-17 GRAND SEASON SPONSORS

The Fred & Jean Allegretti Foundation • Naomi Bloom & Ron Wallace • Dinah Bloomhall • Alexandra Bremner Bruce & Janet Bunch • Gholi & Georgia Darehshori • Mary & Hugh Denison • Ellie Fox • David Fritz/Cruise Everything Dr. & Mrs. Mark & Lynne Gorovoy • John Madden • Sue & Jack Rogers • Arthur Zupko This entire season sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Florida Repertory Theatre is a fully professional non-profit LOA/LORT Theatre company on contract with the Actors’ Equity Association that proudly employs members of the national theatrical labor unions. *Member of Actors’ Equity Association. **Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. ***Member of United Scenic Artists. CAST (in order of appearance) Mollie Ralston...... COURTNEY FEIMAN*† Giles Ralston...... TAYLOR ANTHONY MILLER*† Christopher Wren...... NATE RITSEMA*† Mrs. Boyle...... KATE YOUNG*† Major Metcalf...... MATTHEW FAISON*† Miss Casewell...... MOLLY COYNE*† Mr. Paravicini...... BRENDAN POWERS*† Detective Sergeant Trotter...... BRIAN HATCH*†

TIME & PLACE ACT ONE Scene I: 1952, winter. The Great Hall at Monkswell Manor, outside London. Late Afternoon. Scene II: The following day after lunch. ACT TWO Ten minutes later.

THE MOUSETRAP will be performed with one 15-minute intermission. The video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited. Asst. Costume Designer: Kim Griffin Wardrobe Supervisor: Pingwei Li Lighting and Sound Board Operator: Chris Patterson Understudy: Sarah Katherine Zanotti

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT AGATHA CHRISTIE is the author not only of The Mousetrap, the longest-running stage production in history, but also Witness for the Prosecution and And Then There Were None, to name but a few of her greatest stage successes. Her novels have sold more than two billion copies around the world, and she is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Born in 1890, in Torquay, Devon, England, to an American father and English mother, she wrote her first play Black Coffee (the only play in which she chose to feature Poirot) in 1930 having been disappointed by the way The Murder of Roger Ackroyd had been adapted into Alibi in 1928. She adapted her bestselling novel And Then There Were None for stage in 1943, giving it a different ending, followed by, in quick succession, Appointment with Death (1945), Murder on the Nile (1946) and The Hollow (1951). With The Mousetrap (1952), Witness for the Prosecution (1953), and Spider’s Web (1954), she became the only female playwright to have three plays running in the West End at the same time. Later plays include Towards Zero (1956) co-adapted with Gerald Verner, Verdict (1958) possibly her most unusual play, Go Back for Murder (1960), and Rule of Three (1962) a series of three one-act plays. After a hugely successful career and a wonderful life, Ms. Christie died peacefully on January 12, 1976. You can read Agatha Christie’s own account of her life in An Autobiography which was published after her death in 1977.

†Member of Florida Repertory Theatre’s Ensemble of Theatre Artists. See page 23 for the entire ensemble.

* The Actors & Stage Manager ** *** employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. CREATIVE TEAM MOLLY COYNE* (Miss BRIAN HATCH (Detective Casewell) is thrilled to Sergeant Trotter) is return to Florida Rep after delighted to return to his having been a part of the first theatrical home! Brian Intern Class of Season 15 began as an acting intern (Luisa in The Fantasticks). during Florida Rep’s 15th Since then, she has made season (Camping with Atlanta her home, working Henry and Tom and The at the Alliance Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare, Little Foxes), and you may also remember him Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Horizon Theatre, as Sergeant Cadwallader from last season’s The Theatrical Outfit, and the Atlanta Lyric Theatre. She Unexpected Guest. In the time since, he has worked is especially glad to return to Florida Rep with her in Atlanta: Synchronicity Theatre, Actor’s Express, fellow intern, best friend, and love of her life, Brian Georgia Ensemble, Horizon Theatre, Stage Door Hatch, who she can’t wait to marry in October of Players, Fabrefaction and High Museum. Brian has next year. Love to Mom, Dad, Nunu, Little Stink, also worked for commercial clients like Zaxby’s, and Toby. Proud member of AEA. AT&T, Mississippi State and can be seen on Adult Swim, Netflix, and Discovery Channel. Brian is MATTHEW FAISON* overjoyed to share the stage with his fiancé, and (Major Metcalf) grew up in fellow Season 15 intern, Molly Coyne. Hollywood, Florida and after a stint in the Navy TAYLOR ANTHONY and college at UF and Penn MILLER* (Giles Ralston) State, he began appearing is excited to be making all over the country—from his debut at Florida Rep! the Old Globe Shakespeare NYC: Asking for Trouble Festival in San Diego to Actor’s Theatre of 2016 (Ensemble Studio Louisville, Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, Theater), The Believers Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Southcoast Rep in (Storm Theater, BAM; Newport Beach, and the Alabama Shakespeare NY Innovative Theater Nom), Much Ado About Festival where he played the title role in Hamlet. In Nothing (American Globe), Clean (Looking Los Angeles he guest starred in more than 120 film Glass). He has worked at regional theatres and television roles ranging from M*A*S*H* to including Gablestage, Palm Beach Dramaworks, E.R. He and his wife Brenda live on a small lake in Peterborough Players, Allentown Shakespeare, rural north central Florida where they keep track and more! TV: Law and Order: SVU, Magic City, of a blended family that includes seven children Law and Order, Chicago PD, Leverage, Burn Notice. and four granddaughters. Taylor enjoys making his own films, such as his Cross Streets series on YouTube and Facebook, and COURTNEY FEIMAN his short film Deal, which he wrote and produced. (Mollie Ralston) hails Thanks to Bob, Jason, the cast and crew, and his from Atlanta, GA and is family and Rachel for the constant motivation and a graduate of High Point support. University with a degree in music and theatre BRENDAN POWERS*† (Mr. performance. Some of Paravicini) Select Florida her recent credits include Rep credits over the past Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Three eight seasons include The Musketeers and As You Like It with the Maryland Cocktail Hour, A Christmas Renaissance Festival. Courtney is thrilled to be Story, The Unexpected back with her Florida Repertory Theatre family, Guest, Dividing the Estate, where you may have seen her in Vanya and Sonia Around the World in 80 and Masha and Spike, One Slight Hitch, and Days, The Fantasticks, Doubt, Opus, Boeing-Boeing, Dividing the Estate back in Season 17. She would and The Glass Menagerie. He is married to fellow like to thank her wonderful family and friends Florida Rep ensemble member Rachel Burttram for always supporting her and encouraging her to and also serves as a Development Associate. follow her dreams! Other credits include the Tony Award-winning play, Art, and The Big Knife, both with Alec CREATIVE TEAM Baldwin, the Noel Coward revue, Oh, Coward! at film and television credits include Houseguest, Off-Broadway’s Irish Repertory Theatre, God of Roommates, Diabolique, Citizen Cohn, and What Carnage, August: Osage County, Our Town, Arsenic She Doesn’t Know. A native San Franciscan now and Old Lace, and numerous others. TV work living in Chicago, Kate trained in London at includes FBI Agent Rick Cranston on Graceland LAMDA, Brown University, the University of (USA Network), and David Weller in the Netflix Pittsburgh, and New England Conservatory. original series, Bloodline, starring Sissy Spacek. He www.kateyoung.biz can also be seen driving the big blue Cadillac in a series of national commercials for Alabama Road RHIAN FRANCHEBOIS (Asst. Sound Designer) is Trips. His cartoon captions have been winners a first-time intern at Florida Repertory Theatre. for various contests including The New Yorker, She recently graduated from Flagler College with Hartford Courant, Denver Post, Moment Magazine, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts. This is her Clinical Psychology, Inside Higher Ed, and the first job after college, and she hopes she pleases Greensboro News-Record. your ears.

NATE RITSEMA CHARLENE GROSS*** (Costume Designer) is (Christopher Wren) is thrilled to return for her second season at Florida an acting intern here at Rep. She is currently also the Resident Costume Florida Rep. Originally Designer and the Production Manager for Ohio from Leesburg, VA, Light Opera, where she has designed over 40 Nate graduated from productions. During the academic year, Charlene Christopher Newport is the Resident Costume Designer for the Theatre University where he and Dance Department of The College of Wooster. majored in Theatre, with a concentration in acting, Her costume designs for theatre, dance, and and a minor in dance. Favorite roles include opera have been seen on and off Broadway in Macbeth, Pericles, and Peter Shaw in Silent Sky. He New York City, across the country, and on the is looking forward to making great friends who West End London stage. Theatre credits include love what he loves, and growing by learning from the Cleveland Playhouse, The Sands Casino them. He’s always looking to incorporate new (Atlantic City), Seattle Repertory Theatre, The ideas and methods into his process, and Florida Royal Theatre, The Public Theater (NYC), The Rep appears to be a great place for that. Ingenuity Festival, Cleveland Museum of Art and The Manhattan Theatre Club. Designs for dance KATE YOUNG* (Mrs. Boyle) include GroundWorks, Joyce SoHo, The Yard, The returns to Florida Rep Juilliard School, Dance Space and Kunningham where she was last seen Studios. Charlene is a member of USA Local 829. as Mrs. Warwick in The Unexpected Guest and JOHN KISELICA (Sound Designer) is a graduate of Julia in Lend Me A Tenor. West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Fine Other Florida appearances Arts degree in lighting and sound design. He is include Mad Cow Theatre the Resident Sound and Lighting Designer for (Painting Churches), Miami Theatre Center (Hedda Endstation Theatre Company in Central VA and Gabler), Gulfshore Playhouse (The Importance of acts as the Lighting and Sound Supervisor for year Being Earnest, Naples Daily News Award for Best round consultation and project specific work. He Comedy, 2013), and freeFall Theatre (Bernarda has worked on a national tour, Buddy: the Buddy Alba, Theatre Tampa Bay Awards nominations, Holly Musical, as the master electrician after a 2013). In Chicago she just completed a run contract with Royal Caribbean International as of Shaw’s Misalliance as Mrs. Tarleton with a stage technician. Commercial theatrical work ShawChicago. Other regional credits include includes installing Prodigy Hoists, an automated the Human Race Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, rigging system from Electronic Theatre Controls. Milwaukee Shakespeare, Royal George, Drury John continues to freelance in addition to Lane, Light Opera Works, Northlight, Pittsburgh his seasonal position with Florida Rep in the Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical professional, academic, and community Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, and Three theatre circles. Rivers Shakespeare Festival. Her performances have been recognized with Jefferson nominations and DayTony Awards as well as with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tribune Review citations. Her CREATIVE TEAM AMY MASSARI*† (Production Stage Manager) is In addition to a long list of theatre classics, he pleased to be returning for her eighth season considers himself privileged to have designed as Florida Rep’s resident stage manager and many premiere productions of straight plays, an ensemble member. Amy has been a proud musicals, and operas. He received his MFA in member of Actor’s Equity Association for the past Design from UNC-Greensboro in 1977 and is a 26 years, working in some of the country’s finest member of USA, NY Local #829. regional theatres: the Alley Theatre (Houston, TX), the Dallas Theatre Center (Dallas, TX), TODD O. WREN***† (Lighting Designer) is delighted Stage-West (Springfield, MA), the Pioneer to participate in Florida Rep’s continued growth Memorial (Salt Lake City, UT), and the Colorado as an ensemble member. A special thanks goes Shakespeare Festival (Boulder, CO). Among to you, the audience, for your support. Todd’s her favorite Florida Rep productions are The theatrical credits include: Goodspeed Musicals, Dingdong, Split In Three, The Fantasticks, Lend Cleveland Playhouse, People’s Light and Opera Me a Tenor, August: Osage County, Sylvia, and Company, The Royal Manitoba Theatre Center, God of Carnage. Amy has been happily married Merrimack Repertory, Barter Theatre, Tennessee to her husband of 20 years, Michael. Michael is a Repertory, John F. Kennedy Center, Coconut terrific partner and father to their children Jesse Grove Playhouse, Charlotte Repertory, North Cheyenne and Caleb Dakota. Carolina Shakespeare Festival, Town and Gown Theatre, Casa Manana, and Flat Rock Playhouse. DENNIS MAULDEN*** (Set Designer) is delighted Todd is a member of United Scenic Artists, New to be working with Florida Repertory Theatre York Local #829. again after having designed Twelve Angry Men last season. He has served since 1985 as the Resident AARON MARTIN (Asst. Stage Manager) is a recent Scene Designer at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State graduate of Jacksonville State University. He is Theatre of North Carolina where he also serves very excited to be a stage management intern for as Apprentice Administrator. He has headed Florid Repertory Theatre. Aaron will be working design programs at the University of Florida on the following shows for the 2016-2017 season: and the University of South Carolina, where he Over the River and Through the Woods, The also was Departmental Director of Graduate Mousetrap, Shear Madness, and Doublewide. He Studies. Maulden, a scene designer since 1970, would like to thank his family and friends for all has designed in other university, community, their support, because without them he would not and regional theatres as well as in New York. be where he is today.

SPECIAL THANKS: Ohio Light Opera The College of Wooster

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) was FLORIDA PROFESSIONAL THEATRES founded in 1913 as the first of the American ASSOCIATION (FPTA) is a statewide Actor unions. Equity’s mission is to advance, organization of professional theatre promote and foster the art of theatre as companies and theatre professionals an essential component of our society. Today, Equity interested in the development and promotion of professional theatre throughout Florida. Florida represents more than 40,000 actors, singers, dancers Repertory Theatre is a proud FPTA member theatre. and stage managers working in hundreds of theatres across the United States. Equity members are dedicated THE NATIONAL NEW PLAY to working in the theatre as a profession, upholding NETWORK is the country’s alliance the highest artistic standards. Equity negotiates wages of nonprofit theaters that champions and working conditions and provides a wide range the development, production, and continued life of of benefits including health and pension plans for its new plays. The NNPN strives to pioneer, implement, members. Through its agreement with Equity, this and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize theatre has committed to the fair treatment of the actors the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and and stage managers employed in this production. AEA playwrights. Florida Repertory Theatre is proud to be an Associate Member of the National New Play Network. is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. Florida Repertory Theatre is a member For more information, visit www.actorsequity.org. of THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS TICKETS GROUP (TCG), the national organization for the American Theatre. DRAMATURGICAL NOTES THE LONGEST-RUNNING PLAY IN HISTORY!

The Ambassadors Theatre premiere of Christie’s Mousetrap. Richard Attenborough and his wife, Sheila Sim, were the first stars of The Mousetrap. To date, more than Zolan Henderson and Rachel Burttram 300 actors and in The actresses have Mousetrap, appeared in the 2002 roles of the eight characters. David Raven, who played “Major Metcalf” for 4,575 performances, is in the Guinness unning continuously for over 60 years, The Book of World RMousetrap has broken records in London’s Records as the West End and established Agatha Christie as world’s most a playwright in the public eye. Since its debut durable actor, in 1952 it has become the longest running play while Nancy Seabrooke is noted as the world’s in the history of London’s West End with the most patient understudy for 6,240 performances, 25,000th performance taking place on November or 15 years, as the substitute for “Mrs. Boyle.” 18, 2012. The 25,000th performance was marked with a one-off star studded performance, The Mousetrap is not considered Christie’s introduced by Christie’s grandson Mathew best play, and a prominent stage director once Prichard and featuring Patrick Stewart, Julie declared that “The Mousetrap should be abolished Walters and Miranda Hart. The performance by an act of Parliament.” Nevertheless, the accompanied the unveiling of the Agatha show’s popularity has not waned. Asked about Christie memorial statue in Leicester Square its enduring appeal, Christie said, “It is the sort which commemorated her great works and her of play you can take anyone to. It is not really contributions to the theatre. frightening. It is not really horrible. It is not really a farce, but it has a little bit of all these When The Mousetrap premiered in 1952, things, and perhaps that satisfies a lot of different Winston Churchill was British prime minister, people.” In 1974, after almost 9,000 shows, the Joseph Stalin was Soviet ruler, and Dwight D. play was moved to St. Martin’s Theatre, where it Eisenhower was president-elect. Christie, already remains today. a hugely successful English mystery novelist, originally wrote the drama for Queen Mary, wife of the late King George V. Initially called Three Blind Mice, it debuted as a 30-minute radio play on the queen’s 80th birthday in 1947. Christie later extended the play and renamed it The Mousetrap—a reference to the play-within-a-play performed in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

On November 25, 1952, 453 people took their seats in the Ambassadors Theatre for the London

SOURCES www.agathachristie.com • www.Britanica.com • www.history.com • www.wikipedia.com David S. Howard, Jason Parrish, Sara Morsey DRAMATURGICAL NOTES A LOOK AT THE WORK OF DAME HERCULE POIROT: AGATHA Hercule Poirot is one CHRISTIE of the most famous (1890-1976): fictional characters of Christie is the all time, and has been author of over 80 synonymous with novels and short waxed moustaches, stories, writer of and perfectionism for the world’s longest over ninety years. His running stage first appearance was in play, mastermind Christie’s first published behind countless story, The Mysterious murders, creator Affair at Styles, in 1920. of world-famous detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss The character has been played onscreen by Peter Marple, and is commonly referred to as the Queen Ustinov, Albert Finney, Tony Randall, Alfred Molina, of Crime. She defined a genre of mystery writing, and most notably by David Suchet in the PBS series and followed in the footsteps of Edgar Allen Poe and that ran from 1989 to 2013 (pictured above). Arthur Conan Doyle. An author whose works are counted as some of the most best-selling in the world MISS MARPLE: Miss behind the Bible and Shakespeare. Jane Marple doesn’t look like your average detective. Quite frankly, she doesn’t look like a detective at all. But looks can be deceiving. Her first appearance in literature was in Christie’s 1930 novel, Murder at the Vicarage. Miss Marple has been played on screen by Joan Hickson, Geralidine McEwan, Margaret Rutherford, Helen Hayes, and Angela Lansbury in the 1980 film, The Mirror Crack’d (pictured left)—a portrayal that launched Lansbury’s longtime portrayal of Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote.

FURTHER READING CHECK OUT THESE NEW BOOKS ABOUT AGATHA CHRISTIE AND HER WORK

Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Horgan Using family papers and other protected material, Janet Morgan sheds light on Agatha Christie’s life, work and relationships. Little Grey Cells: The Quotable Poirot Discover the man behind the moustache in this book of one-liners by the world’s most famous Belgian detective, revealing the wit and wisdom of Hercule Poirot and his creator, Agatha Christie. Curtain Up - Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre Curtain Up is the first ever book devoted to Agatha Christie’s writing for the stage. It offers a revealing and witty insight into how Agatha Christie became the world’s most successful female playwright. A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie Christie used poison to kill her characters more often than any other murder method, with the poison itself being a central part of the novel, and her choice of deadly substances far from random.

SOURCES www.agathachristie.com • www.Britanica.com • www.wikipedia.com Our 2017 Artists Await You! February 4 & 5, 2017 Opening Night February 3 Downtown Fort Myers Riverfront Experience the best of Fort Myers’ art scene!

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