by Lorie Lewis Ham
Recently Lindsay Community Theater in Lindsay, CA reached out to us about their upcoming production of A Shot in the Dark so we took a moment to char with the show’s director Jan Owens.
KRL: Why was this show chosen by the theatre company?
Jan: I normally direct one melodrama early in the theater year. Most of the plays I’ve chosen are pretty corny and fun, in fact we call them hot dog melodramas because we serve hot dogs in our concessions. Jim Kleigl, our theater manager, led me to this comedy. We went to Good Company Players 2nd Space to see the last performance in the fall and liked it a lot. It was a marvelous production.
KRL: Why did you want to direct it?
Jan: Because it is a clever and funny story, with two very good lead parts, Sevigne (the lead magistrate) and Josefa, (The house maid accused of murder). I figured if we could fill those roles with solid actors it could be a wonderful show. Jeremy Salas and Rachel Ensley are exceeding my expectations.
Sevigne (Jeremy Salas)
KRL: What have you enjoyed the most about directing this show?
Jan: If one has done community theater in any capacity: singing, dancing, major or minor roles, one knows how exciting it is to meet new people and to hunt for that elusive 15 minutes of fame and to be part of a ‘team’ creating joy and laughter for the audience. In my years connected with the Lindsay Community Theater I have been amazed at the local talent that comes to our stage. A Shot in The Dark is mostly a comedy with some surprising moments.
KRL: What has been the biggest challenge?
Jan: Casting has been the toughest. Of the seven cast members, four have a lot of lines to memorize and emotions to capture.
Josefa (Rachel Ensley)
KRL: Is there anything unique about your particular production of the show?
Jan: We will be performing he play ‘in the round’ where the audience will be on stage surrounding the set. We have tried this configuration with a couple plays (Steel Magnolias for one) and have received good responses. This also creates a sense of intimacy between the cast and the audience. Unfortunately, it limits the audience number to about 60.
KRL: Where can people purchase tickets?
Jan: Lindsay Community Theater Online Tickets – Vendini or call 559 284 2223 or jrkliegl103@gmail[dot]com
KRL: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Jan: I and my family have been connected with the Lindsay Community Theater since 1986 when my wife and 3 daughters performed in The Music Man. Since then my son-in-law and 3 grandchildren have been on stage also. The Lindsay Theater has taken on some bold projects including: Cats, A Fiddler on The Roof, Of Mince and Men, Oklahoma, Steel Magnolias, One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest, Joseph and His Technicolor Dream Coat, into the Woods, and many more. We have a fairly large stage, wonderful acoustics, restaurants near by, and lots of nice people who attend our events.
Thank you for giving our little theater some much deserved attention.
Lindsay Community Theater
190 N. Elmwood, Lindsay CA
A Shot in the Dark Performances: Feb: 6,8,13,15 (7:30 p.m.) 9 & 16 (2 p.m.)
Seating: Adult $9.99 & Children $5
lindsaycommunitytheater.com
If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors–many of whom were mentioned in this article. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play, and also on Podbean. A new episode went up this week!
Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section.
0 Comments