Dial CHT for murder! Church Hill Theatre proudly presents the opening of Don Nigro’s Ravenscroft, directed by master of mayhem and CHT veteran Earl Lewin.
Though the murder is most foul, audiences will find themselves seduced by the dark humor and antics of the Ravenscroft cast from left to right are Carolyn Hailey, Shelby Ruff, Avra Sullivan, Alice Lindsay, Chris Rogers, and Sharon Gillroy.
Ravenscroft is a tale of obscurity involving a cast filled with deceptive ladies and one man who has to wade through their feminine cunning to figure out whodunit. Local playwright and longtime director/actor, Lewin recently wrote and directed the hit musical Celluloid (with musical score by Dick Durham) which held it’s world premier at CHT before running off-Broadway. Lewin brings his perceptive zeal to the classic mystery genre with a growing list of murder classics under his belt having recently written and directed the tongue-in-cheek CHT fundraiser The Burgundy Wine Mob and directed the 2009 hit Catch Me If You Can; he also starred in a CHT’s popular thriller Woman in Black, an audience-favorite produced in 2002.
Ravencroft is a suspenseful and often-hilarious dark comedy which unfolds in an English country estate where the grisly death of the handsome handyman causes Inspector Ruffing to come calling. He finds himself snowbound with five dangerous, illusory women. This1991 thriller was a hit when it premiered in London. The script was later made into a film called The Manor in 1999 featuring Peter O’Toole and Greta Sacchi.
Who killed Patrick Roarke? Inspector Ruffing (Chris Rogers) must search for the truth. The mystery unfolds on a shadowy night when Ruffing comes to investigate the recent headlong-plunge of a young manservant down the main staircase at Ravenscroft Manor. He is obstructed by five manipulative women who are obviously keeping him from learning the truth: Marcy (Avra Sullivan), the governess with a past; Mrs. Ravenscroft (Carolyn Hailey), the flirtatious and controlling lady of the manor; Gillian (Shelby Ruff), her charming, but possibly demented daughter; Mrs. French (Alice Lindsay), the formidable cook; and Dolly (Sharon Gilroy), the frantic, ditsy, and terrified maid. Confronted with constantly-changing and contradictory versions of what happened at the top of the staircase, the Inspector interrogates to the point of utter frustration and accepts far too many glasses of wine from his clever hostesses, putting his own life in danger.
The members of the production staff include Sam Rickets (Producer), Tammy Cain (Stage and Properties Manager), Doug Kaufmann (Lighting Design), Krista Cain (Lighting Operator), Brian Draper (Set Design), Lauren Williams (Costume Design), Monte Hailey (Sound Design and Photography), and Kyle Cain (Sound Operator).
Though the murder is most foul, audiences will find themselves seduced by the dark humor and antics of the Ravenscroft household. Unless you are very clever or perhaps a little demented yourself, you will not be able to guess the ending before the secret is revealed, and the mystery is ultimately solved.
So please be sure to make your reservations to see if you can solve the mystery as it unfolds on the CHT stage. Ravencroft opens on Friday, August 5th and closes on Sunday, August 21st. Performances begin at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays. Call the CHT office at 410.758.1331 or make reservations online at https://www.churchhilltheatre.org. Ravenscroft is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
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