UT staff, alumni to stage ‘Murder Among Friends’
By Staff : November 5th, 2009
The Village Players Theatre this month will present “Murder Among Friends,” which is written by Bob Barry and produced by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc.
The show will run Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 6-21, with curtain time at 8 p.m. There also will be a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Nov. 15. Performances will take place at the Village Players Theatre, 2740 Upton Ave.
“The play is a farce/mystery and full of humorous theatrical references,” said director Jennifer Rockwood. “This particular play’s cast is mostly UT theatre alums, and many were my students years ago.”
Rockwood, director of the UT First-Year Experience Program, was a longtime faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Film.
UT graduates James Norman plays Palmer, an aging, exceedingly vain actor, and Kate Abu-Absi, director of the UT Arts Living and Learning Community, plays Angela, his spoiled wife. UT alumnus Bill Lancz is Ted, a double-dealing, double-loving agent.
Angela and Ted are lovers and plan to murder Palmer during a contrived robbery on New Year’s Eve. But the actor and the agent also are lovers and have an identical plan to do in the wife.
Rounding out the cast are Matt Black, who plays Marshall, and UT alumni Jennifer Lake as Gert and John Meadows as Larry.
Kate Abu-Absi and James Norman rehearse a scene from “Murder Among Friends."
“I want the audience to have a great time and many belly laughs,” Rockwood said. “I also think they will see some superb acting nurtured long ago in UT theatre.”
The Village Players approached Rockwood about sitting in the director’s chair for “Murder Among Friends.”
“They asked me about a year ago if I wanted to direct again,” she said. “I did ‘True West’ there 20 years ago.”
Now in its 53rd season, the Village Players Theatre is a nonprofit community troupe run by volunteers.
Tickets —$14 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students — are available by calling 419.472.6817 or at the box office.