Enjoy an evening of mystery in the staged reading adapted by VSC Veteran Mark Shanahan. This fresh re-telling is not to be missed! MEMBERS-ONLY. Premieres May 14, available through May 17.
Mark Shanahan
(Playwright & Director) returns to VSC having directed The Hound Of The Baskervilles. He is the author of the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy The Dingdong as well as A Merry Little Christmas Carol and A Sherlock Carol and received an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writer’s of America for his adaptation of The Chronology Protection Case. Mark has served as the originator and writer for the White Heron Radio Theatre Ghost Light Series, presenting original radio plays starring such talents as Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivey, Rhonda Ross, and more. As a director, his work has been seen on such national stages as The Westport Country Playhouse, The Alley Theatre, Florida Rep, The White Heron Theatre, The George Street Playhouse, The Hangar Theatre, Penguin Rep, Irish Rep, Florida Studio Theatre, Theatre Squared, Arkansas Rep and others. As an actor, he has appeared On and Off-Broadway and on numerous stages around the country. Mark is a graduate of Brown University (BA) and Fordham University (MA) where he has served on the faculty for the past 18 years. Mark is also the curator for The Script In Hand Series at The Westport Country Playhouse. www.mark-shanahan.net.
MEGAN SMITH
(Stage Manager) is thrilled to work with Mark Shanahan again, and to work with this terrific company of actors. Select credits include: Off-Broadway: Usual Girls, Look Back in Anger, Ordinary Days (Roundabout Theater Company); The Scottsboro Boys, The Internationalist (Vineyard Theatre). Regional: Radio Golf, Dancing at Lughnasa and The Bridge of San Luis Rey (Two River Theater); Skeleton Crew, In the Heights, Romeo and Juliet, Grounded, Lettice and Lovage, What the Butler Saw, The Invisible Hand, Art & Red in Rep, Bedroom Farce, The Liar, Of Mice and Men, David Copperfield, and Finian’s Rainbow (Westport Country Playhouse); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Baltimore Center Stage); The Scottsboro Boys (The Guthrie). Proud AEA member since 1999.
Jaqueline Antaramian
(Caroline Sheppard) has been involved in over 100 productions Regionally and in New York. Was a Company member at the Denver Center Theater from 1989 till 2003.Her Broadway credits include: Dr. Zhivago, Coram Boy, Master Class, Mary Stuart, Soul Doctor and Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington. Among her TV Credits: Homeland, American Gods, Archive 81, Veronica Mars, Counterpart, Succession, Search Party, Madam Secretary, Jessica Jones, The Tick, Elementary, Forever, Bull, Manifest, Equalizer, the Good Wife , Chicago PD. Her very favorite roles..out of too many favorite roles to be able to count..include, Serafina (Rose Tattoo), Regina (Little Foxes) Maria Callas (Master Class) Shakespeare's Gertrude, Cleopatra, and the title roles of Candida, Mary Stuart, and Hedda Gabler.
MARK BROWN
(Roger Ackroyd) is a widely produced playwright throughout America and abroad. His plays and musicals include Around the World in 80 Days; Tom Jones the Musical; The Wild Game; The Gentleman Thief; The Quest for Don Quixote; The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge; Tom Jones; China – The Whole Enchilada. He hasn’t acted in over a decade but when he did act, he worked at regional theatres across the country, and on the big and small screen with Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jeff Goldblum, Dick Van Dyke, and the monkey from Friends. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter and dreams of living on the Côte d’Azur.
JOHN CAUTHEN
(Parker) taught high school English in Virginia Beach for 18 years. He last appeared in VSC’s Great Christmas Carol Escape. Other previous VSC credits include: Our Town, Pride and Prejudice, The Parchman Hour, All My Sons, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Look for John this August in Peninsula Community Theatre’s production of The 39 Steps.
RYAN CLEMENS
(Major Blunt) is proud to work both on the main stage and with VSC's Education Department. VSC patrons may remember Ryan as Mr. Wormwood in Matilda; Trinculo in The Tempest; Lieutenant Brannigan in Guys & Dolls; Vinnie in The Odd Couple; Mortimer in The Fantasticks; Bob Cratchit, Old Joe, or Ghost of Christmas Present in several years' versions of A Christmas Carol; or as his famous relative Sam Clemens in his one-man show Meet Mark Twain. Originally from Wyoming, Ryan began his career in a traveling Wild West show. He has worked at theaters around the country, including several seasons locally with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival and Tidewater Stage Company. He performs with Plan B Comedy at Zeider's American Dream Theatre. Ryan holds a BA in Theatre from Western Washington University and an MFA in Acting from Regent University. He also teaches at ODU. www.clemensistwain.com
JOE DELAFIELD
(Inspector Davis) Joe has been seen on Broadway as Damis in Tartuffe (Roundabout) and off-Broadway in Fashions for Men (Mint), Outward Bound, Theophilus North, and The Breadwinner (Keen Company). Regionally, he has performed at the Guthrie, the Alley, Westport Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public, Virginia Stage Company, La Mirada, the Odyssey, the Fountain, Florida Rep, Hudson Stage, the White Heron, and LA’s Antaeus Company. TV/Film credits include The Sopranos, All My Children, Filmic Achievement, and Company K. Joe holds a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program.
DAN DOMINGUES
(Dr. James Sheppard) Off-Broadway: The Public (The Tempest, Wild Goose Dreams, Fidelis, The Great Immensity), Gingold Group, Sheen Center, Rattlestick Playwrights, Abingdon, BAM, 59E59, INTAR, Atlantic Theater, Cherry Lane. Regional: Bay Street, Westport Country, Alley Theatre, White Heron, Arena Stage, The Guthrie, Goodman, NY Stage & Film, Hangar Theatre, Studio Theatre, Cape Playhouse, Weston Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Rep of St. Louis, Pioneer Theatre, Long Wharf, Florida Stage, Portland Stage, George Street Playhouse. Film: Run All Night, Future ’38, In Stereo. TV: “New Amsterdam,” “The Blacklist,” “Royal Pains,” “Law & Order.” MFA: A.R.T. Associate artist: The Civilians, NY Classical Theatre. Creator and co-host of Hot Date, a podcast for movie fans.
KARESE KAW-UH
(Ursula Bourne) is excited to be a part of such an amazing project. She recently served as Stage Manager for the VSC’s 2021 touring production of The Comedy of Errors and premiered in the one-woman show, “This’ll Only Take a Second,” with the Zeiders American Dream Theatre. With the VSC, Karese has performed in The Comedy of Errors 2020 educational tour and A Christmas Carol in 2019, as well as worked behind the scenes as Assistant to the Director and Production Assistant. Within the Hampton Roads, she has served as Guest Musical Director for a local high school’s Musical Theater Showcase and is also a Kindergarten Teaching Aide. She holds a BA in Theater Arts Administration from Christopher Newport University and will be attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa for an MFA in Theater for Young Audiences in the fall.
DARIUS NELSON
(Ralph Paton) is an alumnus of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy NY, New York. He is thrilled to return to VSC after fulfilling his dream role as the Lion in The Wiz. In his spare time he produces, writes, directs, and does photography. He has been an employee of Norfolk Public Libraries for 4 years. He has performed professionally for 7 years appearing in productions such as Aint Misbehavin, Dreamgirls, Les Miserables, and Sister Act.
JAN NEUBERGER
(Gertrude Ackroyd) is a veteran actor of 47 years and counting, with outings on Broadway, Off-Broadway and all over the map to her credit. Since setting up shop in Florida several years ago, she has criss-crossed the south in productions of Billy Elliot, Boeing Boeing, Informed Consent, Sister Act, Tartuffe, The Life and Death of Richard II, On Golden Pond, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and shot “True Love Blooms” for the Hallmark Channel right in her own St. Petersburg backyard. Proud friend and colleague of Mark Shanahan since 1998, Jan is pleased to be a suspect in his current lineup. www.boomergirl.net.
SARAH SUN PARK
(Flora Ackroyd) is thrilled to be a part of Virginia Stage Company’s reading of Mark Shanahan’s A Murder at Fernly Hall! Sarah is a Graduate of NYU Tisch’s New Studio on Broadway and Stonestreet Film Studios. Credits include Hair (Berkshire Theatre Group), Mamma Mia! (North Carolina Theatre), A Welcome Guest (The Contemporary American Theater Festival), America (Two River Theater), Merrilee Mannerly (Playhouse on Park), & Fun Home (Tisch). Sarah gives thanks to Jesus, her friends and family, and her dear Leo for all the unending love and support! "...and do everything with love." 1 Corinthians 16:14 sarahsunpark.com @sarah_sun_park
WALLIS QUAINTANCE
(Miss Russell) has worked with Virginia Stage Company in Our Town and The Parchman Hour and with CORE Theatre Ensemble in Niobe and Macbeth. Beyond Hampton Roads she has appeared in Downrange: Voices From the Homefront, Henry V, The Parchman Hour, Around the World in 80 Days, Macbeth, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Trojan Women, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Blood Wedding, The Serpent, and The Astonished Heart among others. B.F.A. from NYU and The Atlantic Theatre Company. Love and thanks to her support team: Tom, Miri, and Annika.
SARA SCHAEFER
(Stage Directions) is so excited to be working with The Virginia Stage Company again on this wonderful show! You may have seen her as Belle in VSC's 2019 version of A Christmas Carol or as Margaret Dashwood in VSC's Sense and Sensibility in 2020. She would like to thank her loving family and her amazing boyfriend Benji for the constant love and support. I couldn't do it without you guys!
BRUCE WARREN
(Simon Raglan) (Actor / Director / Choreographer / Teacher / Coach / Humanitarian) As a professional theatre maker for over 20 years, Warren’s work has played stages across North America: WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden, Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, Labatt Center in Ontario, Auditorium & Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Appleton & Detroit, Orpheum Theatre Memphis & Minneapolis, Norfolk's Chrysler Auditorium & Virginia Stage Company, New Orleans's Saenger Theatre, Boston's Colonial Theatre, Mexico City’s Auditorio Nacional, York Theatre Company, Lucille Lortel Theatre, St. Clements Theatre, The Alley Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Arkansas Rep, and many more. He was last seen performing Off-Broadway in the world premiere of I SPY A SPY, originating the role of Russia’s greatest spy, Cold Borscht. Other Off-Broadway credits include THE ROAD TO QATAR! (*Original Cast Album). Last season, Bruce directed VSC’s sparkling and hilarious production of THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA McBRIDE by Matthew Lopez. To support theatre students across the globe, Bruce crafted an assortment of theatre classes, including a few that teach comedy for the stage; “It’s Funny ‘Cause It’s True,” “Comedic Pacing,” and “Comedy Toolkit!” When not collaborating in a theatre, studio, or classroom, Bruce serves on the Fulfillment Operations team at DonorsChoose, helping to bridge the equity gaps in public education across the United States. He proudly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ithaca College. www.BruceWarrenOnline.com
Dramaturgy
About Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie was born Agatha Clarissa Miller in 1890 in Southwest England. The youngest of three siblings, she was homeschooled by her American father. Her two older siblings left her the only child at home, which made Christie so bored that she taught herself to read at the age of 5.
She began to write as a result of a bet between herself and her older sister, Madge. Her debut novel was titled The Mysterious Affair at Styles. According to a letter to a Japanese fan, the favorites of her own novels included Murder on the Orient Express, And Then They Were None, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Her works have been translated into over 100 languages, have sold over 200 billion copies, and she is the most read crime writer in the UK.
Fun Fact: Agatha Christie was an avid surfer.
Closed circle of suspects
Christie developed this common element of detective fiction in her novel Murder on the Orient Express. A ‘Closed Circle of Suspects’ refers to a story in which there are a quickly established, small group of people that had opportunity and motive. There is no possibility of an outsider committing the murder. Other examples of this technique include Clue and Knives Out. A sub-genre of this category is the ‘Country House Mystery‘, which Christie is known for.
Sources: Agatha Christie House