In Cinnaminson, January 2003
By Patricia Solecki, Suburban NewsWeekly
Following the success of their first-ever sold out prior to opening night production of “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?”, Cinnaminson’s Burlington County Footlighters Playhouse is tackling something a little bit different, a little bit from the norm. With their production of “The Swan Song: A Study in Terror”, Footlighters will be giving us a glimpse of a freewheeling murder mystery set in 1940’s Great Britain.
“Theater Noir” one might call it, for this production will be done in the genre of the black-and-white films of that time period – dashing heroes, hardboiled detectives, a nervous, flighty housekeeper, a maiden in distress. (Note to future playwrights: Very few maidens are in distress these days – assuming there are still ‘maidens’ around.)
Directed by AACT award winner Nikkie Adams, “The Swan Song” features some familiar and new faces to the Pomona Road playhouse. Performers will include Dennis Dougherty, Melissa Mead (who was last seen in “A View From the Bridge”), Ann DeVaro, who produced the sold-out “Patent Leather Shoes”, Marie Williamson, winner of the Footlighters’ Best Supporting Actress award for her role in “Return Engagements”, Jim McBride, “Treves” in the Footlighters’ production of “The Elephant Man”, “Black Patent Leather Shoes” performer Tom McCurdy, and Monica Gangloff. The NewsWeekly had the pleasure of interviewing Gangloff, who also performs with Twilight Productions and is a resident of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, when she appeared at the Cinnaminson Library for their recent mini-production of “The Wizard of Oz”. Gangloff thoroughly transformed herself into the quite credible Evil Witch in this production, giving poor Dorothy a devil of a time!
“The Swan Song: A Study in Terror”, by Mike Johnson, may just be the antidote for your winter blues. Mystery, murder, magic and general mayhem ensue, with revenge driving a plethora of possible endings to the tale of dark doings in an English mansion. Taking place from early afternoon to the stroke of midnight, our heroine Olivia Hebdon arrives home with her fiancée Miles after attending the funeral of her parents. Unfortunately, our Olivia refuses to leave the mansion until she can contact the spirits of her parents, whom she believes to have been murdered…but by whom? The kindly old housekeeper with some hidden secrets of her own? Or the mystical swami, with his deepening air of the exotic and unknown? Perhaps it was Olivia’s own secretary, an eerie sort – or could it have been – horrors! – Miles? The story unfolds as layer after layer of secrets are revealed…
Running from January 24, 2003 through February 8, 2003, “The Swan Song: A Study in Terror” may now be enjoyed in the comfort of the ‘new and improved’ Burlington County Footlighters Playhouse. With newly carpeted floors and stadium seating, there’s nothing quite like live theater (or in this case, quite lively theater!) to break those winter doldrums. There’s no need to trek across the bridges to find the best in local live theater.
Burlington County Footlighters Playhouse is located at 808 Pomona Road in Cinnaminson; you may order tickets by calling the box office at 856/829-7144, or log onto their Web site for additional information: www.bcfootlighters.com.