Ronnie Joseph Morgan Sr.
February 6, 2013
Osaka a memorable dining experience
February 7, 2013
Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne presents the second leg of a trilogy this month with a production that makes comedy of murder.
“Secondary Cause of Death” is the second part of the “Inspector Pratt” series. Although many characters from “Murdered to Death” make an appearance, the production stands alone as a witty comedy that audiences can catch onto with ease.
In Peter Gordon’s “Murdered to Death” which Le Petit performed in 2010, the play introduces the bumbling and completely inept Inspector Pratt. This hilarious spoof of the Agatha Christie genre is set in Bagshot House, a country manor house in the 1930s.
Director Greg Whitney says in “Murdered to Death” many familiar characters from the sequel are introduced.
“In the first one, it turns out that Colonel Charles Craddock was having an affair with the owner of the manor house and there were several murders,” Whitney says. “The owner leaves Bagshot House to Colonel Craddock at the end and the Colonel’s wife Margaret is taken to an insane asylum because she goes crazy when she finds out about the affair.”
Whitney says he is excited to continue the sequence of Peter Gordon’s murder mysteries.
“I directed the first one and that is why I asked to direct this one,” Whitney says. “I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted it to look like.”
“Secondary Cause of Death” opens in 1939 with Colonel Craddock, who has converted the inherited property into a hotel. Guests are invited to participate in a murder-mystery re-enactment evening.
Inspector Pratt arrives at Bagshot House with strange news for Colonel Craddock, and as the staff and guests are murdered one after another, the entertainment is not as fun as expected.
Joel Waldron, reprising his role as Inspector Pratt, says it is actually difficult to consistently say names and words incorrectly.
“Pratt cannot get anything right,” Waldron says. “It is a fun part because it is so challenging to get everything wrong.”
Carlisle Jukes, reprising his role as Colonel Craddock, will also double as an actor who looks exactly like Colonel Craddock.
“I have to do a wide range of characters from a stuffed shirt English colonel to a flamboyant actor,” Jukes says.
Donna Benda, will play Cynthia Maple, the sister of the deceased Joan Maple, who Benda played in “Murdered to Death.”
Patti Loupe, playing Captain Henrietta Woolmer-Cardington, says although “Secondary Cause of Death” already has a very wide range of comedic characters, many of the actors are only pretending.
“Many of us are not who we really seem to be,” Loupe says. “I have never had to do an English accent before, which is quite a challenge to be able to say my lines in the accent but also make sure they can be understood.”
Frank Davis plays Count Puchlik, the mysterious Polish Count.
“He is trying to fit in with the English aristocracy,” Davis says. “I carry around an English dictionary and to keep up with everybody.”
Danielle Marchive plays Nurse Ann Parsley, who is having an affair with Colonel Craddock.
“I like that we get to use different accents,” Marchive says. “This is the first time I have been able to do that. It is just making learning the lines a little difficult.”
Gayle Walters added that most of the cast members have at least one accent change.
“The hardest part for us is to change our accent and remember which accent to use,” Walters says.
“Secondary Cause of Death” runs Feb. 22 to March 3 at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne, 7829 Main St., Houma. Tickets cost $15. For more information, call (985) 876-4278 or visit www.houmalittletheatre.com.
Lydia Voight, Patti Loupe, Carlisle Jukes and Gayle Walters rehearse “Secondary Cause of Death” at Le Petit Theatre de Terrebonne in Houma. The play opens Feb. 21.
