By Front Row Reviewers Staff
An interview for Front Row Reviewers
Join the cast and crew at The Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival as we travel back in time to celebrate the Golden Age of Whodunit Radio Shows. Journey with Mrs. Helen Meddlesome, a long-time widow and recent amateur sleuth and her only living relative, niece Catherine Uptight; as they find themselves at the wrong place…right time. In episode 2: The Curse of the Tomb, Cairo, Egypt serves as the dramatic backdrop for a serial of murder and mayhem. Performed in front of a live studio audience, this family event will charm, captivate, and compel audiences young and old. The Advantageous Adventures of Mrs. Meddlesome, episode 2: The Curse of the Tomb, coming August 4th through 6th at Alliance Theater, Venue 3.
From the cast and production team of The Advantageous Adventures of Mrs. Meddlesome, please read on.
~If you had to describe the process of putting on this show with one word, what would it be and why? Connie Thalman (Mrs. Meddlesome / Eva Tanguay): “Refreshing. It’s such a new approach to theater than anything I’ve done in the past, and I love the challenge of it.”
~What is the most interesting (or bizarre) thing you’ve learned while working on this production? Nick Mathews (Lt. General Manosh / Randolph / Peter): “I learned that so many of these characters were real and that the playwright did her homework to make things authentic and true.”
~What have you found out about yourself as you’ve been rehearsing for / performing this role? Adam McGrath (Stage Manager / Dying Man / Ethel the Dog / Foley Artist): “That sometimes I like being in the background while on-stage. And trying to figure out solutions to different sound effects has been challenging but rather fun.”
~What do you do right before each performance to get ready? Right after each performance? Karlyn Salazar (Catherine Uptight / Diana Churchill / Lady Fernsby):” Before a performance I will do some breathing and vocal exercises. After a performance I will just relax with a drink and give myself notes.”
~What was the most critical part of this production that you were worried would fall apart but didn’t? Tim Evans (Narrator / Baehler / Lord Fernsby / Thomas): “The thing I am always most concerned will fall apart is me: missing a cue, being taken by an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Of course, because our three-show run has not begun, there is still time for any of these calamities (or another) to occur. And that is the thrill of live theatre, right?”
~What experience do you have as an actor (meaning, is this your first show, your training, etc.?) Jeffrey Blake (Winston Churchill / Major Shaw / Thomas / Deputy Minister of Antiquities): “My mom was a theatre teacher so I’ve been doing plays since I was a little kid. I’ve been studying improv since high school and I perform regularly at comedy clubs. I’ve appeared in quite a few commercials, in fact, you can see my face on buses and trains right now all over the city, dressed as a knight with a hard hat on. It still feels like I have a lot to learn and challenge myself though.”
~What is your background? Paul T. Murphy (Music Director): “I’m a self-taught musician with a formal education in musical theater.”
~Tell us about your cast. Shauna Brand (Director): “My cast is solid. They all bring their own unique talents. I especially love seeing them flawlessly changing from one character to the next. So much fun to watch.”
What is your favorite part of this production? “Seeing it come together- the acting, the foley, the piano, the costumes, the set pieces. It’s ear and eye candy.”
What is your background and training as a director? “My undergrad is from Weber State University. My Bachelor’s is in theatre, of course. I had a double emphasis in directing and acting and fulfilled all the teaching requirements as well. I have been directing since 1994 so, that’s what? 29 years? Wow.”
~What is the mission of your theatre company? “The mission of SpeaKeasy Theatre Company is to produce new and old works that are off the beaten path and with that, creating opportunities for artists to challenge themselves in those realms.”
~How did your company start? “I’d always wanted to have my own company so I could do the types of work that interest me- either a new work or an old one flipped on its axis, so to speak. SpeaKeasy Theatre Company finally came to fruition in April of 2022 and had its first show that fall. This is now our 3rd production.
~What is your background in this field? Cordelia Brand (Playwright): “I have been writing for years yet somehow it hadn’t occurred to me to write in this format, the one I know most intimately, until the pandemic started. I wrote the first Mrs. Meddlesome, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, during that time. It helped get me out of the muck that surrounded us all. It was pure joy to write. Since then, I have written two short plays, Belated and The Net; three other one-act plays: The Advantageous Adventures of Mrs. Meddlesome, Episode 2: The Curse of the Tomb, TRIP and The Kitchen Sink. All having been produced with the exception of The Kitchen Sink, my newest work. It will be in the New Play Reading Series as part of Wasatch Theatre Company‘s Page-to-Stage Festival, on September 2, 2023 at 2:00 PM at the SLC Theatre Co-op. I have also been named a playwright in residence for Wasatch Theatre Company.
SpeaKeasy Theatre Company is presenting a family friendly production of a 1940s radio show, The Advantageous Adventures of Mrs. Meddlesome, episode 2: The Curse of the Tomb, at Great Salt Lake Fringe Fringe Festival on August 5 at 2:15 PM and August 6 at 6:00 PM.
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