“Suspense, anyone? The old fashioned kind? Who’s for good, clean fun? One is Agatha Christle’s 1954 puzzler, The Spider’s Web.” – Howard Thompson, The New York Times 

Agatha Christie’sSpider’s Web
At Hallowell City Hall
Show dates November 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24

Synopsis from SamuelFrench.com

Clarissa, wife of a diplomat, is adept at spinning tales of adventure, but when a murder takes place in her drawing room she finds live drama much harder to cope with. Desperate to dispose of the body before her husband arrives with an important politician, she enlists the help of her guests. Hilarity ensues when they are interrupted by the arrival of wry detective Inspector Lord. 

A conscious parody of the detective thriller, Christie delivers a unique blend of suspense and humour. There is tension and laughter in equal parts in an intricate plot of murder, police, drug addicts, invisible ink, hidden doorways and secret drawers.

3 women 8 men

Here is a description of characters:

“Spider’s Web” Characters

Clarissa Hailsham-Brown: Age 25-35. The second wife of Henry Hailsham-Brown, charming and inventive, her imagination tends to work overtime, with some unexpected consequences.

Jeremy Warrender: Age 25-30. An elegant young man and guest at the Hailsham-Brown’s house, the private secretary for a man much wealthier than he.

Oliver Costello: Age 40s. He is suspected of shady dealings. None of the other characters like him and neither should the audience – even though he is killed in the first act, his body gets to hang around in the second act.

Pipa Hailsham-Brown: Clarissa’s young stepdaughter: Age about 12 years old, she exhibits the strong emotional swings of a pre-teen, made worse by a previous family problems, will need to look much younger than Clarissa but strong enough for Clarissa (and the audience) to believe that she could have clobbered Oliver.

Mildred Peake: She is a big, jolly-looking woman of forty odd, in tweeds and gum boots. The gardener with a hale and hearty attitude, some suspect that she isn’t all there.

Mr. Elgin: The butler – middle aged. Nothing escapes his attention.

Henry Hailsham-Brown: Age 40-50s. Clarissa’s husband. A good-looking man of about forty with a rather expressionless face who works in the foreign office, a strong, solid type.

Constable Jones: Age 20-40s. He and the Inspector have been working together long enough that they understand each other well.

Sir Rowland Delahaye: Age 50-60. A distinguished gentleman with very definite charm. Clarissa’s guardian, friend, and adviser, he likes to think that he can guide her, but would never admit that she has him wrapped around her little finger.

Hugo Birch: Age 50-60. The local Justice of the Peace. A rather irascible type who shouldn’t be involved in business like a murder.

Inspector Lord: Age 40-50s. The wheels are always turning in his brain. Although he doesn’t let on, he doesn’t miss a thing.

Shakespeare in the Park with the Augusta Downtown Alliance
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Augusta 16, 17 in Waterfront Park in Augusta

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Summary

Four Athenians run away to the forest only to have Puck the fairy make both of the boys fall in love with the same girl. The four run through the forest pursuing each other while Puck helps his master play a trick on the fairy queen. In the end, Puck reverses the magic, and the two couples reconcile and marry.

by Ron Bernas

At Hallowell City Hall
Show dates June 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23

“A delightful surprise…an evening of fun just on the proper side of slapstick.” – Lansing State Journal

Synopsis from stageplays.com

It’s New Year’s Eve at the Perry mansion, and Julia and Matthew Perry seem to have it all.

But Matthew wants something more – to be rid of his wife Julia so he can have some real fun!

He resolves to murder Julia by the new year’s end, and tells her so

She vows to stay alive, and tells him so

And so the game begins – an hilarious year-long match of wits and the witless

But while Julia cleverly dodges Matthew’s devious murder attempts, the Perry friends and staff are dying off mysteriously – it seems Matthew is successful in murdering everyone but Julia!

As the bodies are falling, dim-witted daughter Bunny contemplates calling off her wedding to unwitting Donald since all the intended gift-bearing guests are dying

Enter Detective Plotnik – a Sam Spade reincarnation who suspects everyone, but hasn’t a clue

By Werner Trieschmann.

Synopsis from dramaticpublishing.com

Based on several disastrous theatrical experiences, Bad Play peels back a tattered curtain to examine the process of putting on a show that is less than good. A stuffy narrator (what bad play is complete without a stuffy narrator?) guides the audience through the whole sorry process. We go from the audition—where the director is more worried about roast beef than paying attention to the warm-up exercise, and the neurotic cast pretends to be bacon—to rehearsals—where a passive-aggressive stage manager gives everyone grief. There’s also a special meeting of the Small Part Support Group and a production of Romeo and Juliet set in a Starbucks with costumes of potato sacks and bowler hats. This bad play within a play won’t win any awards, but All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Play will keep audiences in stitches.