THE FRIDAY FIVE: DEATHTRAP's Dortch, Greco and Jackson

Mystery's afoot among the literati tonight as ACT 1 kicks off its 2015-16 season with its production of Ira Levin's classic stage mystery Deathtrap, running at Darkhorse Theater through October 17.

Susan Cole makes her ACT 1 directorial debut with Deathtrap, which stars Joel Diggs as Sydney Bruhl, a once successful playwright who has had quite the rough patch of late. He tells his wife Myra, played by Christi Dortch, about a student in his writing class who has written a brilliant play - and that he (Sydney) has devised a plan to kill the student, played by Dante Greco (in his Nashville stage debut), and make the play his own. And therein lies the rub: Is Sydney serious or is something more sinister involved? Judy Jackson co-stars as the neighborhood psychic, with Michael Welch as Porter, the attorney.

Today, we focus our Friday Five spotlight on the intriguing Deathtrap trio of Christi Dortch, Dante Greco and Judy Jackson, as interesting a bunch of actors as you'll find in Nashville. Get to know them better, then book your seats to see Deathtrap...

Christi Dortch

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? I played Ms. Claus in a grade school play. But the "bug" bit me much earlier when I saw Nutcracker for the first time. I remember at intermission saying to my mom, "I want to do that." I think she has been rethinking that outing ever since.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? Gathering with the full cast and playing a game. It can be a quick game of charades, word association or just some fun activity to create the bond that will solidify our connection for the next three hours.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? When I was still in college and doing The Norman Conquest, my "Norman" went completely blank during the chase around the dinner table. The actor panicked and just left the stage. If you know this trilogy at all, you know there are a few of these table chases and they are all rather pivotal to moving the show forward. So I decided the best way to get us back on track was to yell his lines to him off stage in the form of a question. Thankfully it drew him back out and he picked up where we left off. I like to tell myself the audience had no idea things went awry.

What's your dream role? I have two really, Lady Macbeth and Mame. Like most actresses, I have many other roles on my list, but these two have been on my list from my early days in the business. At least these are roles I haven't aged out of... yet.

Who's your theatrical crush? That's a tough one. I am so enamored by people with immense talent; so it gets challenging for me to just have one crush. But with the specific word crush" in mind, I guess I can narrow it down to Patrick Stewart, Danny Kaye, Carol Burnett and Elaine Stritch.

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people. I have played a man on stage three different times, all for different companies/directors.

Dante Greco

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? As an audience member, it was seeing the Mahabharata as a child while living in India for a year. As an actor, my first full-fledged live performance was in a college production called Radio Ghost Stories, where I played a mob guy, which was fitting, as I was enraptured by the Scorsese/De Niro universe at the time.

What's your favorite pre-show ritual? I breathe, I stretch, I do a personalized version of Strasberg's "diagnosis of the instrument," which I heard is an important exercise for relaxation, as relaxation is 85 percent of acting, according to Nicholson. Also, I sometimes jokingly recite Dirk Diggler's pep talk from the end of Boogie Nights to myself, just to keep things light.

What's your most memorable "the show must go" moment? I wish I had a great story, but outside of a few dropped lines, I've been fortunate enough to work with some really talented casts. Hope this doesn't sound like a cop out!

What's your dream role? I'd love to play Ricky Roma but I've seen Glengarry Glen Ross so many times I wouldn't be able to escape lapsing into imitation. I've always liked Macbeth!

Who's your theatrical crush? A few years back, I saw an actress named Lauren Lapkus doing improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade in L.A. and I was blown away by how funny and great her performance was. I knew she had star-quality talent and this was confirmed when I saw her play a major role in Jurassic World this year.

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something that would surprise most people! There's a character named after me on The Sopranos. My aunt and uncle were writers on the show and they used my name for Tony Soprano's driver one season. It was a minor character, but I'll take it!

Judy Jackson

What was your first "live, onstage" taste of theater? The Queen of Hearts in second grade. Everyone else wanted Alice, but I thought she was boring. I loved shouting "Off with their heads." The teachers had to warn the little kids that it wasn't real!

What's your favorite pre-show ritual? I like to be quiet and go over the script, say a little prayer. Then right before going on I do some "football" type exercises to get the energy up.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? I did Over the River... with a broken arm. Took the sling off before going on and then put it back on after the show. Needless to say, my gestures were limited. I also remember standing behind the couch in A Lie of the Mind while dodging cockroaches at my feet.

What's your dream role? Dream roles change with age. Right now, I'm thoroughly enjoying Helga in Deathtrap. I like character stuff. Enjoyed Sophie in Social Security and any role in Over the River.

Who's your theatrical crush? I would have to say my theatrical crush is and always will be Ken Jackson. Aside from that, Ryan Gosling, Edward Norton or that Scot in the Outlander series will do. I used to love Mel Gibson, but he turned out to be a weirdo.

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise most people! I don't have many surprises, but some people might be surprised to know I love the drums. I'm a terrible drummer took lessons and everything. Ken recently bought me a drum set that doesn't make noise - which is best for everyone!

• Deathtrap opens October 2 and runs through October 17, at Darkhorse Theater, located at 4610 Charlotte Avenue in Nashville. Curtain's at 7:30 p.m. on October 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17, with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sunday, October 4 and 11. Tickets are available for purchase at ACT 1's at www.act1online.com

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