Theatre 29 and Director John Wright have completed the casting for the 3rd show of the 2012 season, “A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody.” By Ron Bernas. The Comedy, Murder Mystery (yup, all three!) will open May 4 and run five weekends through June 2.
In “A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody” It’s New Year’s Eve at the Perry mansion, Julia and Matthew Perry seem to have it all, but Matthew wants something more — to be rid of his wife, Julia, so he can have some real fun! He resolves to murder Julia by the New Year’s end, and tells her so. She vows to stay alive, and tells him so. And so the game begins.
A hilarious year-long match of wits and the witless. While Julia cleverly dodges Matthew’s devious murder attempts, the Perry friends and staff are dying off mysteriously. It seems Matthew is successful in murdering everyone but Julia. As the bodies are falling, dim-witted daughter Bunny contemplates calling off her wedding to unwitting Donald since all the intended gift-bearing guests are dying. Enter Detective Plotnik, a Sam Spade reincarnation who suspects everyone, but hasn’t a clue. That is, not until Donald stumbles upon Julia and gentlemanly butler Buttram in what Donald mistakenly perceives as a compromising situation. Donald jumps to the conclusion that Julia is the murderer — trying to murder Matthew! “A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody” is homage to the screwball comedies of the 30’s and 40’s.
Wright, who made his directorial debut at Theatre 29 with “Pinocchio” last season, has assembled a very talented cast of veterans of Theatre 29 for this production.
Playing Matthew Perry, a man who from birth has had more dollars than sense, is Tom Highfill, last seen in “Barbecuing Hamlet”. Playing Buttram, the family butler for many years, though convinced he is above being a butler, is Marv Schmelling. Matthew’s wife, Julia Perry, a classy, intelligent woman who loves her husband despite his many faults, will be played by Cheryl Gillon. Matthew and Julia’s sweet, but dim-witted and deeply shallow daughter, Bunny Perry, is played by Lauren Schmelling. Donald, Bunny’s fiancée, is very earnest, and very much in love with Bunny, despite her lack of savvy, is played by Chris Fleishman. Rounding out the cast as Plotnik, a witless detective, who fancies himself a cynical gumshoe, but lacks the savvy to locate, let alone solve, a crime, is Jericho McWilliams.
“A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody” plays at 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday nights May 4 – June 2, with a Thursday performance at 7:00 PM May 17th, and a Sunday Matinee at 2:30 PM May 27th. Tickets are available now online at www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 box office at 760-361-4151. Ticket prices are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and military; and $8 for students.
Theatre 29 is located at 73637 Sullivan Road, (right around the corner from Barr Lumber) in the City of Twentynine Palms.
