THE UNEXPECTED GUEST is Opening at the Long Beach Playhouse

Lost in the fog, a stranger - the unexpected guest - seeks refuge in a nearby house, only to find a man shot dead and his wife standing over him with a smoking gun. A tangled web of lies reveals family secrets and chilling motives. And the real murderer turns out to be the greatest mystery of all. Agatha Christie will keep you guessing until the very end.

"This play is filled with fascinating characters and unexpected plot twists," said Executive Director, Madison Mooney. "Richard Warwick, the murder victim, is an ill-tempered bully that nobody in the household is sad to see go. Was he murdered by his mother, his wife, his brother, or did the butler do it?"

The story begins when Michael Starkwedder enters Warwick drawing room and finds the murder victim and his dazed wife holding a gun. He finds the wife's confession anything but convincing and decides to help. Remarkably, the police suspect a man who died two years previously despite the assortment of living suspects who had reason to wish him dead. Warwick's mother's response to the news of her son's death is "Good riddance." His half-brother is freed from the threat of being sent to an asylum and Laura, the mistreated wife, is freed from her loveless marriage. The only person who doesn't benefit from Warwick's death is his valet who is out of a job. The circumstances raise questions about the motive of his killing and its method: Was it a pre-meditated act or done on the spur of the moment?

Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse said, "We always include Agatha Christie in our Mainstage season. Audiences love her and I'd never disappoint them. We have a great director, an outstanding cast and a wonderful set. Everything, the sound, the set, the costumes and the acting, will deliver a delightful evening to our audience."

Jeff Brown is the show's director. He's been an actor, director, and designer for nearly 40 years and has directed several shows for the Playhouse including Arsenic and Old Lace, The Mousetrap and A Christmas Carol. Although he's directed several Christie plays during his career this is his first time to direct The Unexpected Guest.

The cast includes returning actors: Taryne Moyse, Lee Samuel Tanng, Lisa J. Salas, Christian Jordan Skinner, Carmen Tunis, Stephen Alan Carver, Tod Walker, and Gary Douglas. Making his Playhouse debut is Devin Stone.

The show opens January 11 and runs through February 8, 2020.

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS PLAY:

Pay what you can Thursday Jan 9 - community can see this production for whatever they can afford

Friday Two-for-One Jan 10 - tickets are $10 for everyone

Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on Jan 11 - Tickets are $27.00

TICKET PRICES

Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00

Saturday and Sunday: Adults are $24.00, Seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014,

Photo Credit: Mike Hardy

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