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| Greg Flattery (from left), Carly Tegt and Tony Lonn star in "The Mousetrap." (Teresa Prince) |
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New blood makes up cast of Playhouse murder mystery
By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, Mar 24, 2006 - 12:01:29 am CST
Artistic director Jeremy Kendall has gone into the “community” to cast the latest Lincoln Community Playhouse production.
Of the eight actors, four of them — Carly Tegt, Anthony “Tony” Lonn, Jane Nelkin and Kerry Eddy — will make their first appearance on the Playhouse stage.
The Agatha Christie murder mystery begins its three-week run tonight on the Playhouse’s main stage.
“I hoped, maybe, if I got a callback that would be a good thing,” said Tegt, who will perform in her first stage production. “And if I made the show, I thought maybe I would be a piece of furniture or a tree, like in elementary school.”
But that’s not the case.
Tegt has a role as big and important as the seven other cast members.
“This has been a wonderful experience,” she said. “Every night I learn a new trick.”
“The Mousetrap” is classic Christie and one of the most successful plays ever. The plot involves a murder at Monkswell Manor just outside London, where the owners and guests are suspects.
Christie originally wrote the piece as a radio play as a birthday present for Queen Mary. The stage play opened at London’s Ambassadors Theatre on Nov. 25, 1952, and relocated to St. Martin’s Theatre in 1974, where it continues its record-breaking run today.
The Playhouse last staged it in 1992. It’s a crowd pleaser, Kendall said, even for those who have seen the play and know the outcome.
“There was a feeling that we needed to do it again,” Kendall said. “It’s a great ensemble play. It provides juicy roles for eight people.”
The other cast members are Greg Flattery, Kevan Nye, David Lehnert and Kyle T. Lorenz. Of those, only Flattery has an extensive Playhouse resume. Regular patrons may remember Lorenz as the lead in the musical “Footloose” in 2003.
“I make a point of trying to get new people into the Playhouse,” Kendall said. “Obviously, they have to be right for the role. I try hard to to cast new people.”
Such as Tegt and Lonn, who both auditioned, more or less, on a whim.
Tegt’s only stage experience is one year with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Scarlet & Cream singers. The 25-year-old, who has a degree in clothing design, has no theater background, but has had an interest in acting, taking classes in high school and college.
“I’ve always kept my eye on the auditions,” she said. “I figured there might be something I would like to try out for.”
Lonn, 25, has acted but not since he was in high school, more than six years ago in Minden. Kendall’s wife, Laura, is a regular at Starbucks, where Lonn works. She convinced him to read for her husband.
“The best part about it is I’ve forgotten how much I loved it,” he said. “When you’re working to pay your bills, you tend to give up the things you love. I’m hoping to keep up with it now.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
If you go
What: “The Mousetrap”
Where: Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S. 56th St.
When: 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday, Thursday through April 1 and April 6-8; 2 p.m. Sunday and April 2 and 9
Tickets: $25, $12 students; 489-7529
Note: Front-row “rush” tickets are available for $10 at the box office on the day of the March 30, April 2, 6 and 9 performances.
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