For Immediate Release
July 13, 2023
Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]
Cottage Theatre opens The Game's Afoot on August 11 for a three-weekend run
Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre continues its 2023 season with a three-weekend run of Ken Ludwig's The Game's Afoot, an uproarious "Sherlock Holmes" whodunit. The play runs from August 11 - 27, 2023 at Cottage Theatre's recently-remodeled facility at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.
It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is murdered, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. After years of portraying Holmes on stage, Gillette is convinced he can track down the killer before the next victim appears. Who will find the murderer first? The pompous Holmes impersonator or the local constable Inspector Goring? Winner of the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery of the Year, The Game’s Afoot is a comical whodunit that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the surprise ending.
Cottage Theatre's production of The Game's Afoot is directed by Janet Rust. She has directed many highly successful productions at Cottage Theatre over the last fifteen years, including Oliver! in 2019 and Curtains in 2017. The Game's Afoot costume design is by Chris Carter, set design by Tony Rust, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The Assistant Director is Bil Morrill. The cast features Kory Weimer as William Gillette, Nikki Pagniano as Martha Gillette, Phil Dempsey as Felix Geisel, Tracy Brous as Madge Geisel, Seth Miller as Simon Bright, Darcy Rust as Aggie Wheeler, Moura Stewart as Inspector Goring, and Laurel Merz as Daria Chase.
"I am a huge fan of Ken Ludwig's plays," comments director Janet Rust. "I directed his Moon Over Buffalo on the Cottage Theatre stage in 2014, and have been looking for an opportunity to bring another of his extremely funny scripts to life on stage ever since. If the audience laughs even half as much as I am at rehearsal every night, I will consider this production a resounding success!"
Playwright Ken Ludwig has had six shows on Broadway, seven in London's West End, and many of his works have become a standard part of the American repertoire. His 32 plays and musicals have been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages and are produced throughout the United States every night of the year. Lend Me a Tenor won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for 5 years and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. In addition, he has won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theater. His plays have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins and Hal Holbrook. For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.
The Game's Afoot is on stage for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from August 11 - 27, 2023. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.
Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $27 for adults and $15 for youth. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. This production is sponsored by Parsons Financial Advisors.
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Cottage Theatre, founded in 1982, produces a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring talented Lane County performers. The theatre also offers year-round educational programs for youth. A member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Cottage Theatre is one of just six theatres in the country selected to produce a world premiere as part of the AACT 2024 NewPlayFest. The theatre is known for its strong production values, in keeping with its mission of "engaging and enriching our community through the magic of live theatre."
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July 13, 2023
Contact:
Susan Goes, Executive Director
(541) 942-8001 or [email protected]
Cottage Theatre opens The Game's Afoot on August 11 for a three-weekend run
Cottage Grove, OR — Cottage Theatre continues its 2023 season with a three-weekend run of Ken Ludwig's The Game's Afoot, an uproarious "Sherlock Holmes" whodunit. The play runs from August 11 - 27, 2023 at Cottage Theatre's recently-remodeled facility at 700 Village Drive in Cottage Grove.
It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his portrayal of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is murdered, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. After years of portraying Holmes on stage, Gillette is convinced he can track down the killer before the next victim appears. Who will find the murderer first? The pompous Holmes impersonator or the local constable Inspector Goring? Winner of the 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Mystery of the Year, The Game’s Afoot is a comical whodunit that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way to the surprise ending.
Cottage Theatre's production of The Game's Afoot is directed by Janet Rust. She has directed many highly successful productions at Cottage Theatre over the last fifteen years, including Oliver! in 2019 and Curtains in 2017. The Game's Afoot costume design is by Chris Carter, set design by Tony Rust, and lighting design by Amanda Ferguson. The Assistant Director is Bil Morrill. The cast features Kory Weimer as William Gillette, Nikki Pagniano as Martha Gillette, Phil Dempsey as Felix Geisel, Tracy Brous as Madge Geisel, Seth Miller as Simon Bright, Darcy Rust as Aggie Wheeler, Moura Stewart as Inspector Goring, and Laurel Merz as Daria Chase.
"I am a huge fan of Ken Ludwig's plays," comments director Janet Rust. "I directed his Moon Over Buffalo on the Cottage Theatre stage in 2014, and have been looking for an opportunity to bring another of his extremely funny scripts to life on stage ever since. If the audience laughs even half as much as I am at rehearsal every night, I will consider this production a resounding success!"
Playwright Ken Ludwig has had six shows on Broadway, seven in London's West End, and many of his works have become a standard part of the American repertoire. His 32 plays and musicals have been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages and are produced throughout the United States every night of the year. Lend Me a Tenor won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for 5 years and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. In addition, he has won the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theater. His plays have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins and Hal Holbrook. For more information, see his website at www.kenludwig.com.
The Game's Afoot is on stage for three weekends at Cottage Theatre from August 11 - 27, 2023. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, and Sunday afternoons at 2:30 pm.
Tickets are available online at www.cottagetheatre.org or by phone at (541) 942-8001. Tickets are $27 for adults and $15 for youth. All seating is reserved and advance purchase is recommended. This production is sponsored by Parsons Financial Advisors.
*************
Cottage Theatre, founded in 1982, produces a year-round season of plays and musicals featuring talented Lane County performers. The theatre also offers year-round educational programs for youth. A member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Cottage Theatre is one of just six theatres in the country selected to produce a world premiere as part of the AACT 2024 NewPlayFest. The theatre is known for its strong production values, in keeping with its mission of "engaging and enriching our community through the magic of live theatre."
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