Kirk Players present ‘And Then There Were None’
The Kirk Players have announced the first show of their 59th Season, “And Then There Were None,” by Agatha Christie. This quintessential murder mystery is the sixth bestselling book of all time, and the Players are excited to bring it to the stage.
“What makes 'And Then There Were None’ unique is that the remarkable Agatha Christie wrote both the novel and the play,” Director Patrick Blake said. “It’s a classic! Even if you know and have seen the show, this is Agatha Christie, and no one writes mystery better.”
The play begins with eight strangers all invited to an isolated island off the coast of England by a mysterious host that nobody knows. The jovial gathering takes a dark turn when one of the guests is murdered. And then another. The remaining guests begin to turn on each other as they try to determine who the murderer is before they become the next victim.
Noting that the first performance is just the day after Halloween, cast member Mike Lieberman said, “It is a ghoulish seasonal show, which should be tons of fun to watch.”
Cast member Susie Hill is enjoying the blending of Kirk Players members and guest performers, noting, “We are a small community theater of all volunteers, and together we are putting on an amazing show.”
This production brings a touch of its own mystery for the audience. Agatha Christie originally wrote the play to end in the same manner as the novel. However, during the dark days of World War II, she wrote a different ending, giving the play two possible endings. Instead of choosing one, Blake thought, why not perform both? The endings of each of the first two performances will be chosen at random, and Sunday’s matinee will be assigned based on the results of the previous two.
Which ending will you get to see? At first, not even the cast will know until the performance. Assistant Stage Manager Rey Wright mentions that the original ending “has a lot of emotions going on … and is kind of unsettling,” and both endings are thrilling in their own right.
The cast includes Chris Brouton, Jess Motyka, Teddi Santos, Rebby VanSickel, Vidal Gonzalez, Luke Rush, Ben Fenton, Randy Margison, Shara Wright, Mike Lieberman, Susie Hill and Rey Wright.
The management team includes director Patrick Blake, stage manager Lisa Willems, assistant stage manager Rey Wright, set designer Teresa Schryver, set decorator Barbara Selvaggio, lighting designer Martin Hill, lighting crew Jon Matousek, sound designer Mindi Billock, props lead Teddi Santos and props crew Julie Brouton.
All performances of “And Then There Were None” will be held at Mundelein High School, 470 N. Lake St., Mundelein. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3. Tickets can be purchased through the Kirk Players website, kirkplayers.org, or by calling (847) 521-6192. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.
Founded in 1966, the Kirk Players is a not-for-profit corporation of volunteers with the purpose of providing service to the community through the arts. Revenue from productions is invested back into the community to support the arts and art programs. While based in Mundelein, the Kirk Players work throughout Lake County.