Actors Circle will present Agatha Christie’s ‘The Case of the Missing Will,’ a short story adapted for the stage by Robert Spalletta at Providence Playhouse, 1256 Providence Road, Scranton.
Directed by Katie VonBergen, show dates are April 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 2024 with show times Thursday, Fridays and Saturday, April 20, at 7 p.m.; Sundays and Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m.. Tickets are $15 general, $12 senior, and $10 student. On Thursday, April 11, all tickets are $10. Pay cash at the door or visit www.actorscircle.com to purchase tickets online. Call 570-342-9707 for reservations.
This is presented with assistance from a grant from Lackawanna County Arts and Culture.
In the play, Poirot assists an intelligent young woman in proving to her deceased uncle that her education was valuable. They must solve the puzzle of his will or else she will be left with no inheritance.
Members of the cast are: Dominick Azzarelli as Hercule Poirot; Tricia Henning as Miss Violet Marsh; April Holgate as Poirot’s assistant Felicity Lemon; Harry Powell as Violet’s uncle, Andrew Marsh; Cathy Rist Strauch as the cook, Mrs. Baker, and Jeff Ginsberg as the tradesman, Walter Coghan. Robert Spalletta is production designer and Mark Fryer is stage manager.
Katie VonBergen, director, is a resident of Scranton and is an administrator assistant at Holy Cross in Dunmore and the Moderator and Artistic Director of the Holy Cross Theatre Ensemble. Last spring at Holy Cross she directed “The Garment,” and in the fall of 2023, “ The Wizard of Oz.” With Actors Circle, she has appeared in several AC productions, stage managed, and directed “On Golden Pond” by Ernest Thompson. Katie has also served on AC’s board and is currently on its auxiliary board.
Cathy Rist Strauch, native of Dunmore, is the daughter of the late Harold W. and C. Marion McCabe Rist and resided on Clay Avenue in the Hollywood section of Dunmore during her early years. She attended St. Mary of Mount Carmel School, Dunmore (the same as her mother), and later, Scranton Prep and the University of Scranton.
Upon marriage to her husband, Joseph J. Strauch, she moved to Clinton Township, near Factoryville), where they they raised three daughters.
Cathy has been active in theater most of her life, joining Actors Circle board of directors in 1987, serving is a past president, and now as ongoing secretary. Throughout her theatrical career, Cathy has done many things: acting, singing, dancing, directing, producing, costuming, sound design, set decoration, fundraising and publicity.
Dr. Robert Spalletta joined the faculty of the University of Scranton in 1983 and served as the chair of its Physics Department for 11 years. Dr. Spalletta first got involved in theater in 1964, and has won writing awards during his high school, college, and postgraduate career. He has served on the Board of Directors for Actors Circle since 1990 and was president of the board for 12 years. He has been serving in the technical maintenance of the theatre since he came onboard. Robert has directed for Actors Circle on several occasions and appeared in a few of their productions and has produced several shows.
This is his second time adapting a story for the stage at AC. His last work was staging and directing “His Girl Friday” which was originally produced as a movie written by Charles Lerer and Ben Hecht.