Baskerville: A Sherlock Homes Mystery

This “mystery with a twist” was called “comedy gold … the perfect mix of slapstick and thrills” by TheaterMania and “ingeniously funny” by Broadway World. Sherlock Holmes and his trusted assistant Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as the intrepid investigators navigate a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as five actors portray more than 40 characters.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1042/thumbnail.jp

Fools

Fools, by Neil Simon, is the comic tale of Leon, an enthusiastic young schoolteacher who seeks to cure the Ukrainian village of Kulyenchikov from the curse of chronic stupidity from which they have been suffering for 200 years. Taking place “a long time ago,” the story becomes complicated when Leon meets the lovely Sophia, so stupid that she only learned to sit down a week ago. She presents quite the challenge for Leon’s goal of freeing the town from stupidity, but he is motivated by her charm. Her longtime suitor, Count Gregor, whose ancestors placed the curse on the town in the first place, is a rival for Sophia’s attentions. No one has told Leon that if he fails to cure the town of stupidity in 24 hours, the curse will make him stupid as well.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1040/thumbnail.jp

The Heiress

Shy and plain young girl Catherine Sloper falls desperately in love with the charming and handsome Morris Townsend. Catherine’s father, a successful doctor, forbids their marriage, fearing that the attraction Morris feels for Catherine may be more for her fortune than for her character. Catherine’s love for Morris is genuine but haunted by doubts regarding her appearance and lack of worldly experience. Her fears are realized when her proposed plan of an elopement fails to succeed, and she retreats into a world of loneliness. But when Morris returns and proposes to her once again, she responds in a shockingly unexpected way. His reaction leaves us to wonder whether Morris is sincere in his love for Catherine, or is rather the fulfillment of Catherine’s fears.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1045/thumbnail.jp

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]

The Complete Works takes us through all of Shakespeare’s Histories, Comedies and Tragedies in one hilarious show! It’s a fast-paced romp through the Bard’s well known plays. Join three actors, lots of wigs, crazy props, bona fide costumes, and iambic pentameter all rolled into this Shakespearean adventure you won’t soon forget. It’s time to get up close and personal with this in-your-face merriment staged in our black-box performance venue.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1037/thumbnail.jp

The Diary of Anne Frank

The Diary of Anne Frank tells the story of a young Jewish girl and her family during the German World War II occupation of the Netherlands. The play explores themes of persecution, coming of age during wartime, and Jewish identity in a world turned upside down by hatred. Anne’s unique perspective, recorded in her personal diary discovered after the war had ended, attests to her hope for all people to someday live without fear. The New York Daily News described the play as having “so much beauty, warm humor, gentle pity … that it is difficult to imagine how this play could be contained in one set on one stage … this is a fine drama.”https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1038/thumbnail.jp

Appointment with Death

One of Agatha Christie’s most suspenseful plays, the story begins with a group of tourists visiting the ancient town of Petra in Jordan. Set during the 1940s, the world is suffering from the effects of the War, when suddenly danger, fear, and murder intrude upon their lives much more closely than any of them imagined. As they settle into a grand and luxurious hotel, mysterious things begin to occur, and strange characters seem to be lurking everywhere. When someone is murdered, it seems obvious that the culprit must be among the group of travelers. Could the murderer be among the locals who work in the hotel? This play became one of the most enduring and popular stories ever written by Christie, as it pulls the audiences into a world of intrigue, suspense, and danger in an exotic and unfamiliar land.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1041/thumbnail.jp

The Spitfire Grill

A contemporary musical by the writing team of James Valcq and Fred Alley, this is the story of Percy, a newcomer to the Wisconsin town of Gilead, who arrives with a secret. She has been recently paroled from prison and chose to settle in the town of Gilead for a second chance at life, believing the town must hold promise since its very name seems to offer hope and healing. As she is gradually befriended by the regulars at the town restaurant, she becomes especially close to Hannah, the owner of The Spitfire Grill. Hannah’s efforts to sell the grill have not been successful, but Percy, short for “Perchance,” comes up with an idea that not only saves the restaurant but leads to a redemption of sorts, for her and others, in surprising ways. USA Today described the play as having “an abundance of warmth, spirit, and goodwill … some of the most engaging and instantly infectious melodies heard in a musical in some time.”https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1043/thumbnail.jp

Jane Eyre

This new adaptation of the beloved Gothic novel imaginatively incorporates haunting visual images, dreamlike memories and innovative staging. Orphaned Jane Eyre overcomes her lonely and abusive childhood to become an accomplished governess for Mr. Rochester’s ward at mysterious Thornfield, a place with dark and terrifying secrets. Her psychological journey allows her to triumph over the oppression of the Victorian era, in a script that Chicago Magazine called “a tide of loving and sure storytelling that treats its audience with reverence and respect.”https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1035/thumbnail.jp

Four Comic One-Act Plays

These fast-paced comedies have been collected to be performed together as one entertaining show. All rooted in farce comedy, each explores the frustrating, exasperating, and fun-to-watch situations that happen to people in various social settings. The five short plays are “An Unwilling Martyr,” which presents an overburdened man dealing with ludicrous chores and obligations; “The Anniversary,” which takes a look at frenetic scenes at a bank; “The Wedding,” which depicts a social setting where the mother-of-the-bride causes some awkward but hilarious gaffes; “The Bear,” where a widow unable to pay her rent turns the tables on her landlord; and “The Proposal,” where a suitor winds up in a battle over property. The production will feature Russian music and dancing in a colorful and exciting show set in the social world of the 1890s.https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1048/thumbnail.jp

The Comedy of Errors

This earliest of Shakespeare’s comedies is set in the ancient Greek town of Ephesus, where two sets of brothers had been separated in infancy during a tragic shipwreck long ago. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio arrive in town, not knowing that it is the home of Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio. Ephesian law forbids anyone from Syracuse to come into the town, and if caught doing so, will be put to death unless able to pay an enormous ransom. Egeon, father of the Antipholus twins, convinces the ruler of Ephesus to give him one day to find his long lost son. He is granted the time, and comic misadventures unfold as themes of mistaken identity, romantic disasters, false accusations and confusion take place. The befuddlement of the characters is even more fun for the audience to watch since we can tell the twins apart, but the characters cannot!https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/theatre_productions/1044/thumbnail.jp