Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP to Open in September At The Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap has been mesmerizing audiences for more than 60 years and holds the world record for the longest running production. Find out why this tantalizing whodunit endures when the mystery unfolds at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, September 8-17. Monkswell Manor welcomes a group of strangers during a snowstorm and on the heels of a murder in town. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house, a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. Will the identity of the murderer be revealed before someone else dies?

Ally Gia made her Lyceum debut this year in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and plays Mollie Ralston, half of Monkswell Manor's host couple. Ally is a recent graduate of Webster University's Sargent Conservatory. Her credits include roles in American Idiot, A Christmas Carol, and Sondheim on Sondheim. Spencer Kruse appears as Mollie's husband, Giles. He most recently appeared at the Lyceum as Kenny in Laughter on the 23rd Floor and was in Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound at the New Jewish Theatre in St. Louis.

As the house fills with guests, audiences will meet the flighty Christopher Wren, who is played by Kansas City native and current New Yorker Jacob Flekier. He has appeared in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound, and Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Beth Leonard portrays the difficult-to-please Mrs. Boyle. She has appeared previously at the Lyceum in The Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof, Sister Act, and Murder on the Orient Express.

Two men arrive with military and police skills that are put to the test as they try to outwit a killer. Alan Knoll, fresh off his Lyceum Theatre directoral debut, takes the stage as Major Metcalf. Alan's long resume of regional credits include many appearances at the Lyceum, including roles in A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Singin' in The Rain. Detective Sergeant Trotter is played by Benjamin Boucvalt in his Lyceum debut. He is a company member at Great River Shakespeare Festival with roles in As You Like It, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. Benjamin is also a writer and published his first novel, The River Road, in 2014.

Leah Gabriel plays the aloof Miss Casewell. Leah was recently seen as Carol in Laughter on the 23rd Floor. Her New York credits include the title role in Medea, and roles in King Lear and Othello at the Titan Theatre Company. The mysterious Mr. Paravicini is played by Christopher Gerson. Also a member of the Lyceum's Laughter on the 23rd Floor cast, Christopher was recently seen off-Broadway in Chains, and in Alabama Story and BUZZ at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

The Mousetrap is directed by Tarah Flanagan. She is a New York-based director, actor, and teaching artist. Recent directing credits include As You Like It, No Child, and An Iliad at the Great River Shakespeare Festival, and Christmas at Pemberley at Utah State University. She adapted and co-produced The Yellow Wallpaper for Actors Theatre of Louisville, co-produced/choreographed Darwin the Series, and served as the dialect coach for the world premiere of Imbroglio at the Great River Shakespeare Festival.

The production team also includes Scenic Designer Ryan J. Zirngibl, Costume Designer Garth Dunbar, Lighting Designer Vincente Williams, Sound Designer/Composer Jon Robertson, Associate Sound Designer Paul Vedros, Production Stage Manager Tony Dearing, and Assistant Stage Manager Lauren Young.

This production is rated PG. Single tickets for The Mousetrap are $45 for adults, with senior, student/child, and public safety discounts available. Show dates are September 8-17. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and matinees begin at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit LyceumTheatre.org or call 660-837-3311.

The Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), professional theater located in the historic 19th-century village of Arrow Rock, Missouri. The Lyceum has been entertaining audiences for more than six decades, producing musicals, dramas, and comedies. Each year, this 416-seat theater attracts professional actors, designers, stage managers, directors, and technicians who take residence in Arrow Rock to bring patrons Broadway-caliber productions.

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