"Rehearsal for Murder," a production of the PrimeTime Players starring SaddleBrooke actors, is being staged Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 12-14, in SaddleBrooke.
The curtain opens at 7:30 p.m. each night at the DesertView Performing Arts Center in SaddleBrooke. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 at the door. They're available at www.tickets.DVPAC.net, or by calling 825-2818.
"Rehearsal for Murder" is a thrilling "theatrical" mystery in which the theater becomes the set for the play. Written by the creators of "Columbo," "Murder She Wrote," and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," the story takes place in an empty theater as a playwright stages an elaborate plan to reveal the truth behind his movie star fiancée's supposed suicide.
It is "a well-scripted, unique whodunit, with plot twists, beautifully crafted and full of misdirection and red herrings," a release said. "Everyone has a motive, it seems." Growing tension reaches a boiling point when surprising revelations and accusations create a stunning climax.
Susan Shear, the director / producer, has done considerable theater in the past. She moved to SaddleBrooke four years ago, and this is the PrimeTime Players fourth show.
"We have a good time, and we're trying to teach people something about theater," with opportunities for new actors as well as veterans of the stage. "We want to give different people a chance," Shear said.
The cast includes about 20, with another 20 involved in the production.
Auditions were held in the spring, and the players "took their scripts home all summer." Rehearsals began in mid-September, three times a week.
Tim Morsani, a newcomer to SaddleBrooke and the Players, has the lead. "He's done a lot of theater in the past," Shear said.
"A challenge for us in SaddleBrooke is to find plays the audience will like, and the actors can do for the right age group," Shear said. "We can't require ingénue parts. This one doesn't require people to be any different age, so that's a blessing."
