DIGITAL SHOW CARD
NOTE: DEATHTRAP will open on Thursday, Nov 14, 2024. The Opening Night Reception will be held following the performance on Friday, Nov 15, 2024. Pablo Akira Richter is ill and unable to perform at this time, during his recovery J Purnell Hargrove will play the role of Clifford Anderson.
DEATHTRAP .... Scenes and Settings
Setting/Time: Sidney Bruhl’s study, in the Bruhl home in Westport, Connecticut
ACT 1 October, 1978
Intermission
(15 mins, please enjoy your refreshments in the lobby. Only Bottled water is allowed into the theatre.)
ACT II November, 1978
Run Time: 2 hrs and 15 mins, and one 15 minute intermission
Setting/Time: Sidney Bruhl’s study, in the Bruhl home in Westport, Connecticut
ACT 1 October, 1978
Intermission
(15 mins, please enjoy your refreshments in the lobby. Only Bottled water is allowed into the theatre.)
ACT II November, 1978
Run Time: 2 hrs and 15 mins, and one 15 minute intermission
Cast & Creative Team
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CAST
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CREATIVE TEAM
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SPECIAL THANKS:
Tad Cleaves, Jamie Fisher, Lee Gross, Latrell Mathewson, Johannes McNulty, Peter Messmer,
Rachel Schmitz, Gloria Sykes, Neal Townsend, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Silhouette Stages
Tad Cleaves, Jamie Fisher, Lee Gross, Latrell Mathewson, Johannes McNulty, Peter Messmer,
Rachel Schmitz, Gloria Sykes, Neal Townsend, Fells Point Corner Theatre, Silhouette Stages
Cast & Creative Team Bios
Melissa Banister (Helga ten Dorp) was most recently seen in Machinal (Mother, Nurse, Server) at Fells Point Corner Theatre. Other local credits include Love, Loss and What I Wore (Nancy’s Mother, Gingy Alt) and How I Learned to Drive (Female Greek Chorus) at Vagabond Players and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Cassandra) at Spotlighters Theatre. Additional select credits include: Three Sisters, Dr. Charcot’s Hysteria Shows, The Great Fury of Philip Hotz, and The Firebugs. Look for Melissa in the upcoming local film, Glove Match. Melissa earned her BA in Theater and Dance from Trinity College in Harford, CT, and when not on stage, she supports Baltimore County Public School students and staff as a theatre arts teacher/director and professional development coordinator. Melissa thanks Stephen and the entire cast and crew for this incredible experience. She is forever grateful to Nicholas and Matthew for their support, inspiration, and love.
Stephen Foreman (Director/ Fight Choreographer) is thrilled to be back at Spotlighters directing the tantalizing thriller Deathtrap, having previously directed [title of show] and Zanna Don’t!: A Musical Fairy Tale here. He has been performing and directing in the Baltimore area since 2016. Recent works include performing as Tray Sophisticay in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Iron Crow), Alfie Byrne in A Man of No Importance (Greenbelt Arts Center) and his WATCH Award winning Direction of Silhouette Stages productions of Sondheim on Sondheim & Cabaret. Special thanks to Becca and Allison for being a collaborative support system throughout this entire process, to my Mother for inspiring my passion for theatrical arts, and most humbly to the amazingly talented group of performers & designers joining him on this journey for sharing their talents to do justice to this brilliantly complicated show. Enjoy Deathtrap!
Rebecca Hanauer (Stage Manager) is thrilled to stage manage her first show at Spotlighters, after being a long time patron since moving to Maryland in 2015. She is on the board at Silhouette Stages, where she frequently stage manages, including the WATCH Award winning Sondheim on Sondheim and Cabaret. She also is a frequent stage manager at Maryland Theatre Collective. On stage credits include Hope Harcourt, in Anything Goes (Silhouette Stages), Ladybug, in James and the Giant Peach (Heritage Players), Diana, in Next to Normal and Rizzo, in Grease (Missouri S&T, Rolla, MO). For multiple shows, she has done a variety of jobs behind the scenes, including hair/wig/makeup design, set building, wardrobe, and set designing. When she's outside the theatre, she works as an electrical engineer. “All my love to my family, friends, and especially to Chris.”
J Purnell Hargrove (Clifford Anderson U/S) is a Baltimore based performer, producer, and theatre admin. They just finished a run of the Maryland premiere of The Guy Who Didn’t like Musicals with CJ Productions. They also serve as the Vice President of Fells Point Corner Theatre. Carpe Noctem…
Jessie Krupkin (Props Designer/ Scenic Dressing) is super excited to be working at Spotlighters Theatre on this show having frequently rented numerous props from their prop storage room for other local area productions. Previous painting and prop designs include Forum, Adams Family, Anything Goes, Hairspray, Calendar Girls, R&H Cinderella, The Wedding Singer, Sondheim on Sondheim, & The SpongeBob Musical. Lots of love to her three main men, Eric, Micah, and Levi for their endless love and support.
Darren McDonnell (Sidney Bruhl) Darren has toured the country in the National Tour of Anything Goes, performed in regional theatres on the East coast and the Mid-west. Darren received a 2015 Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Sir Robin in Spamalot at Toby’s. Darren’s local theatre credits include: Barry Glickman in The Prom (Cockpit in Court), Squidward in SpongeBob the Musical (Toby’s), Harry Bright in Mamma Mia (Toby’s), Tony in Disaster the Musical (Cockpit in Court), Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace (Cockpit in Court), Dan in Next to Normal (Vagabonds), Victor Prynne in Private Lives (Vagabonds), John Dickinson in 1776 (Toby’s), Mal Beineke in The Addams Family (Toby’s), Bellomy in The Fantasticks (Rep Stage), Freddy in Breast of Show (Gaithersburg Art Barn), Gordon Schwinn in A New Brain (Spotlighters), Brian in The Shadow Box (Teatro 101) and Bob Wallace in White Christmas (LaComedia in Ohio). Thanks to Stephen and the cast for this great opportunity!
Will Murphy (Intimacy Choreographer) is excited to work with Spotlighters Theatre for the first time! Will's recent work includes A Man of No Importance (Intimacy Choreography), Crocodile Fever (Fianna), and Little Women (Jo). They thank the lovely Deathtrap team and their partner, friends, and family for their support. He also thanks the educators who provide tools for ethical and efficient choreography who remind us that our boundaries are perfect where they are.
Justin Nepomuceno (Scenic Designer) is a Baltimore based installation artist and designer. Previous credits include Scenic Designer for The Wolves, Pillar Rabbit, A Raisin in the Sun at Spotlighters Theatre, Machinal and On the Verge at Fells Point Corner Theatre. Technical Direction for Wednesdays in Mississippi at Pipeline Playwrights and props artisan for Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theatre, Beautiful at Olney Theatre Center, and Covenant at Theatre Alliance. Justin holds a BS/BFA in Design etc. from Towson University. @Nepoillustration
Carlo Olivi (Porter Milgrim) is very happy to make his fourth appearance on the distinct Spotlighters stage. Previously, Carlo has appeared here as Freddy Eynsford-Hill in Pygmalion, as Henry Mills in Laughing Stock, and as Bill/Jake in Love/Sick. Elsewhere, Carlo's theater credits include a turn as Detective Sgt. Trotter in The Mousetrap (Prince George's Little Theatre), the role of Jud Templeton in Tribute (Greenbelt Arts Center), and as Jack in The Tin Woman (PGLT). Carlo is grateful for all the support and encouragement given to him by his friends and family during his return to theater, especially from his wonderful wife Kayla.
Al Ramer (Lighting Designer) is in his eighth season designing for Spotlighters, Favorites include The Hairy Ape, Evita, Threepenny Opera, She Kills Monsters, Songs for a New World, and Dog Sees God. For the past ten odd years, he has served the world as a lighting designer at River Hill High School, Most recently designing Clue. Al would like to thank the Spotlighters family and his wonderful spouse for feeding the horses so he could play with lights.
Kelly Rardon (Dialect Coach) is honored to work with the cast and production staff of Deathtrap. Although conversant in French, Spanish, and Russian, her first language love has always been German, in which she holds a BA from University of South Carolina. Better known to the theatre community for her on-stage performances, including her dream roles of Pheobe in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (MST), and Amalia in She Loves Me (Silhouette Stages), she is delighted to step off the stage and share her knowledge of the Germanic languages with you all. Much love to Stephen for your vision and passion for this production.
Pablo Akira Richter (Clifford Anderson) is extremely excited to make his Spotlighters debut. A Baltimore native and Baltimore City College alum, Pablo began acting at Brown University, originating the role of Chris in the unofficial debut of Your Own Personal Exegesis. He continued to study acting during the pandemic, and received a Practical Aesthetics scholarship to receive training with the Atlantic Acting School. After college, Pablo lived in the Bay Area for 2 years, and returned to Baltimore one year ago. Since coming home Pablo has been diving into the local theater scene and is eager to delve into it further. His favorite roles to date are: Chris from his first production, Gavin in A Computer that Loves, and his beloved Cliff from our production of Deathtrap. Love to all, and enjoy the show!
Paul Saar (Sound Designer) is happy to return for his 9th show with Spotlighters. Paul holds a degree in Theatre Arts from McDaniel College and has regularly worked around the Baltimore area as an actor, stage manager, sound designer, and director. He has previously been seen at Spotlighters as director of The Mousetrap, stage manager for Scharf’s Shorts, and sound designer for Zanna Don’t, as well as playing the role of Miles in She Kills Monsters with Twin Beach Players. He would like to thank his friends and family for their everlasting support, and Fuzz for being a huge inspiration on his career.
Allison Salach (Assistant Stage Manager) has had a thoroughly thrilling time working with Spotlighters Theatre on Deathtrap. This is her second production, having previously stage managed A Man of No Importance at the Greenbelt Arts Center. She'd like to thank Stephen for inviting her to be a part of the show, her friends and family for always being there to listen and offer wisdom, and the Shell Station on Washington Blvd for consistently selling gas for 35¢ less than anywhere else in DC. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Aparna Sri (Myra Bruhl) is hopscotchy delighted to perform in the heart of Baltimore at Spotlighters Theatre in this classic comedy-thriller Deathtrap! She is stoked to work with Stephen (Dir.) and this swashboggling cast and crew! She was most recently spotted around Maryland in That Woman - The Monologue Show at the 2024 Charm City Fringe Festival, in Tiny Beautiful Things in Baltimore's 20th Annual 10-min Play Festival with Rapid Lemon, as Siobhan in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong, Elizabeth Darcy in Miss Bennet - Christmas at Pemberley, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Heather in Gideon's Knot, Mrs. Alfieri in A View from the Bridge, and Kay Strange in Towards Zero. She draws enormous strength from her sweet dude and Aces^3. You’re in for a scrumptious treat ~ enjoy the show!
Mica Weiss (Costume Designer) feels so blessed to have been able to work with this wonderful cast and production team. Mica has designed costumes for The SpongeBob Musical with Silhouette Stages and is excited to be getting the opportunity to explore their passion for design through this production. Thank you for supporting local theatre!
Melissa Banister (Helga ten Dorp) was most recently seen in Machinal (Mother, Nurse, Server) at Fells Point Corner Theatre. Other local credits include Love, Loss and What I Wore (Nancy’s Mother, Gingy Alt) and How I Learned to Drive (Female Greek Chorus) at Vagabond Players and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Cassandra) at Spotlighters Theatre. Additional select credits include: Three Sisters, Dr. Charcot’s Hysteria Shows, The Great Fury of Philip Hotz, and The Firebugs. Look for Melissa in the upcoming local film, Glove Match. Melissa earned her BA in Theater and Dance from Trinity College in Harford, CT, and when not on stage, she supports Baltimore County Public School students and staff as a theatre arts teacher/director and professional development coordinator. Melissa thanks Stephen and the entire cast and crew for this incredible experience. She is forever grateful to Nicholas and Matthew for their support, inspiration, and love.
Stephen Foreman (Director/ Fight Choreographer) is thrilled to be back at Spotlighters directing the tantalizing thriller Deathtrap, having previously directed [title of show] and Zanna Don’t!: A Musical Fairy Tale here. He has been performing and directing in the Baltimore area since 2016. Recent works include performing as Tray Sophisticay in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Iron Crow), Alfie Byrne in A Man of No Importance (Greenbelt Arts Center) and his WATCH Award winning Direction of Silhouette Stages productions of Sondheim on Sondheim & Cabaret. Special thanks to Becca and Allison for being a collaborative support system throughout this entire process, to my Mother for inspiring my passion for theatrical arts, and most humbly to the amazingly talented group of performers & designers joining him on this journey for sharing their talents to do justice to this brilliantly complicated show. Enjoy Deathtrap!
Rebecca Hanauer (Stage Manager) is thrilled to stage manage her first show at Spotlighters, after being a long time patron since moving to Maryland in 2015. She is on the board at Silhouette Stages, where she frequently stage manages, including the WATCH Award winning Sondheim on Sondheim and Cabaret. She also is a frequent stage manager at Maryland Theatre Collective. On stage credits include Hope Harcourt, in Anything Goes (Silhouette Stages), Ladybug, in James and the Giant Peach (Heritage Players), Diana, in Next to Normal and Rizzo, in Grease (Missouri S&T, Rolla, MO). For multiple shows, she has done a variety of jobs behind the scenes, including hair/wig/makeup design, set building, wardrobe, and set designing. When she's outside the theatre, she works as an electrical engineer. “All my love to my family, friends, and especially to Chris.”
J Purnell Hargrove (Clifford Anderson U/S) is a Baltimore based performer, producer, and theatre admin. They just finished a run of the Maryland premiere of The Guy Who Didn’t like Musicals with CJ Productions. They also serve as the Vice President of Fells Point Corner Theatre. Carpe Noctem…
Jessie Krupkin (Props Designer/ Scenic Dressing) is super excited to be working at Spotlighters Theatre on this show having frequently rented numerous props from their prop storage room for other local area productions. Previous painting and prop designs include Forum, Adams Family, Anything Goes, Hairspray, Calendar Girls, R&H Cinderella, The Wedding Singer, Sondheim on Sondheim, & The SpongeBob Musical. Lots of love to her three main men, Eric, Micah, and Levi for their endless love and support.
Darren McDonnell (Sidney Bruhl) Darren has toured the country in the National Tour of Anything Goes, performed in regional theatres on the East coast and the Mid-west. Darren received a 2015 Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Sir Robin in Spamalot at Toby’s. Darren’s local theatre credits include: Barry Glickman in The Prom (Cockpit in Court), Squidward in SpongeBob the Musical (Toby’s), Harry Bright in Mamma Mia (Toby’s), Tony in Disaster the Musical (Cockpit in Court), Mortimer in Arsenic and Old Lace (Cockpit in Court), Dan in Next to Normal (Vagabonds), Victor Prynne in Private Lives (Vagabonds), John Dickinson in 1776 (Toby’s), Mal Beineke in The Addams Family (Toby’s), Bellomy in The Fantasticks (Rep Stage), Freddy in Breast of Show (Gaithersburg Art Barn), Gordon Schwinn in A New Brain (Spotlighters), Brian in The Shadow Box (Teatro 101) and Bob Wallace in White Christmas (LaComedia in Ohio). Thanks to Stephen and the cast for this great opportunity!
Will Murphy (Intimacy Choreographer) is excited to work with Spotlighters Theatre for the first time! Will's recent work includes A Man of No Importance (Intimacy Choreography), Crocodile Fever (Fianna), and Little Women (Jo). They thank the lovely Deathtrap team and their partner, friends, and family for their support. He also thanks the educators who provide tools for ethical and efficient choreography who remind us that our boundaries are perfect where they are.
Justin Nepomuceno (Scenic Designer) is a Baltimore based installation artist and designer. Previous credits include Scenic Designer for The Wolves, Pillar Rabbit, A Raisin in the Sun at Spotlighters Theatre, Machinal and On the Verge at Fells Point Corner Theatre. Technical Direction for Wednesdays in Mississippi at Pipeline Playwrights and props artisan for Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theatre, Beautiful at Olney Theatre Center, and Covenant at Theatre Alliance. Justin holds a BS/BFA in Design etc. from Towson University. @Nepoillustration
Carlo Olivi (Porter Milgrim) is very happy to make his fourth appearance on the distinct Spotlighters stage. Previously, Carlo has appeared here as Freddy Eynsford-Hill in Pygmalion, as Henry Mills in Laughing Stock, and as Bill/Jake in Love/Sick. Elsewhere, Carlo's theater credits include a turn as Detective Sgt. Trotter in The Mousetrap (Prince George's Little Theatre), the role of Jud Templeton in Tribute (Greenbelt Arts Center), and as Jack in The Tin Woman (PGLT). Carlo is grateful for all the support and encouragement given to him by his friends and family during his return to theater, especially from his wonderful wife Kayla.
Al Ramer (Lighting Designer) is in his eighth season designing for Spotlighters, Favorites include The Hairy Ape, Evita, Threepenny Opera, She Kills Monsters, Songs for a New World, and Dog Sees God. For the past ten odd years, he has served the world as a lighting designer at River Hill High School, Most recently designing Clue. Al would like to thank the Spotlighters family and his wonderful spouse for feeding the horses so he could play with lights.
Kelly Rardon (Dialect Coach) is honored to work with the cast and production staff of Deathtrap. Although conversant in French, Spanish, and Russian, her first language love has always been German, in which she holds a BA from University of South Carolina. Better known to the theatre community for her on-stage performances, including her dream roles of Pheobe in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (MST), and Amalia in She Loves Me (Silhouette Stages), she is delighted to step off the stage and share her knowledge of the Germanic languages with you all. Much love to Stephen for your vision and passion for this production.
Pablo Akira Richter (Clifford Anderson) is extremely excited to make his Spotlighters debut. A Baltimore native and Baltimore City College alum, Pablo began acting at Brown University, originating the role of Chris in the unofficial debut of Your Own Personal Exegesis. He continued to study acting during the pandemic, and received a Practical Aesthetics scholarship to receive training with the Atlantic Acting School. After college, Pablo lived in the Bay Area for 2 years, and returned to Baltimore one year ago. Since coming home Pablo has been diving into the local theater scene and is eager to delve into it further. His favorite roles to date are: Chris from his first production, Gavin in A Computer that Loves, and his beloved Cliff from our production of Deathtrap. Love to all, and enjoy the show!
Paul Saar (Sound Designer) is happy to return for his 9th show with Spotlighters. Paul holds a degree in Theatre Arts from McDaniel College and has regularly worked around the Baltimore area as an actor, stage manager, sound designer, and director. He has previously been seen at Spotlighters as director of The Mousetrap, stage manager for Scharf’s Shorts, and sound designer for Zanna Don’t, as well as playing the role of Miles in She Kills Monsters with Twin Beach Players. He would like to thank his friends and family for their everlasting support, and Fuzz for being a huge inspiration on his career.
Allison Salach (Assistant Stage Manager) has had a thoroughly thrilling time working with Spotlighters Theatre on Deathtrap. This is her second production, having previously stage managed A Man of No Importance at the Greenbelt Arts Center. She'd like to thank Stephen for inviting her to be a part of the show, her friends and family for always being there to listen and offer wisdom, and the Shell Station on Washington Blvd for consistently selling gas for 35¢ less than anywhere else in DC. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Aparna Sri (Myra Bruhl) is hopscotchy delighted to perform in the heart of Baltimore at Spotlighters Theatre in this classic comedy-thriller Deathtrap! She is stoked to work with Stephen (Dir.) and this swashboggling cast and crew! She was most recently spotted around Maryland in That Woman - The Monologue Show at the 2024 Charm City Fringe Festival, in Tiny Beautiful Things in Baltimore's 20th Annual 10-min Play Festival with Rapid Lemon, as Siobhan in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Sandra in The Play That Goes Wrong, Elizabeth Darcy in Miss Bennet - Christmas at Pemberley, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Heather in Gideon's Knot, Mrs. Alfieri in A View from the Bridge, and Kay Strange in Towards Zero. She draws enormous strength from her sweet dude and Aces^3. You’re in for a scrumptious treat ~ enjoy the show!
Mica Weiss (Costume Designer) feels so blessed to have been able to work with this wonderful cast and production team. Mica has designed costumes for The SpongeBob Musical with Silhouette Stages and is excited to be getting the opportunity to explore their passion for design through this production. Thank you for supporting local theatre!
Director’s Comments . . . Stephen Foreman, Director
“Deathtrap! A Thriller in Two Acts. One set, 5 Characters. A juicy Murder in Act One, Unexpected Developments in Act 2. Sound construction, good dialogue, laughs in the right places. Highly Commercial.” With an opening line like that, what could go wrong? Deathtrap is a play from the brilliant mind of Ira Levin, whose novels have been made and remade into several very successful films. Perhaps you’ve heard of A Kiss Before Dying, The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives or Rosemary’s Baby? I thought so.
Stephen King has described Ira Levin as the “Swiss Watchmaker” of suspense novels. “Every novel he has ever written has been a marvel of plotting… he makes what the rest of us do look like those five-dollar watches you can buy at a discount drug store.”
As for theater, his most successful play by far is Deathtrap, which ran for four years (with almost 1800 performances) and holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. As the play opens, audiences find themselves considering the question, “Would you kill to have a success?” The Swiss Watchmaker sets in motion a carefully crafted script filled with cynical Broadway humor, complex characters, witty dialogue, and all manner of plot twists.
I saw a local production of Deathtrap last year and immediately knew I needed to get my hands on the material. It is rare that a show is equally frightening and funny. I am beyond excited to bring this phenomenally talented cast and creative team together at Spotlighters to bring you our production of Deathtrap. I hope you will have as much fun watching the play as we had working on it. This show may be from 1978 but is filled with such depth and brilliantly crafted plot that it is frequently revived. You are about to see why.
“Deathtrap! A Thriller in Two Acts. One set, 5 Characters. A juicy Murder in Act One, Unexpected Developments in Act 2. Sound construction, good dialogue, laughs in the right places. Highly Commercial.” With an opening line like that, what could go wrong? Deathtrap is a play from the brilliant mind of Ira Levin, whose novels have been made and remade into several very successful films. Perhaps you’ve heard of A Kiss Before Dying, The Boys from Brazil, The Stepford Wives or Rosemary’s Baby? I thought so.
Stephen King has described Ira Levin as the “Swiss Watchmaker” of suspense novels. “Every novel he has ever written has been a marvel of plotting… he makes what the rest of us do look like those five-dollar watches you can buy at a discount drug store.”
As for theater, his most successful play by far is Deathtrap, which ran for four years (with almost 1800 performances) and holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway. As the play opens, audiences find themselves considering the question, “Would you kill to have a success?” The Swiss Watchmaker sets in motion a carefully crafted script filled with cynical Broadway humor, complex characters, witty dialogue, and all manner of plot twists.
I saw a local production of Deathtrap last year and immediately knew I needed to get my hands on the material. It is rare that a show is equally frightening and funny. I am beyond excited to bring this phenomenally talented cast and creative team together at Spotlighters to bring you our production of Deathtrap. I hope you will have as much fun watching the play as we had working on it. This show may be from 1978 but is filled with such depth and brilliantly crafted plot that it is frequently revived. You are about to see why.
