SPT Youth Presents THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, Beginning 11/2

THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, Tom Stoppard's witty send-up of every English parlor murder mystery under the sun has charmed audiences for decades with its timeless take on the whodunit. HOUND turns the genre on its ear with Stoppard's irascible sense of irony and gift for literary subversion.

Sharing the bill with HOUND is the world premiere of ANOTHER DEAD CASEAR an original play penned by SPT Youth Ensemble member and burgeoning Seattle playwright, 14 year-old Frank Garland. Combining elements of Christie and Shakespeare, Garland creates a deliciously witty tale of murder and monkey business with just a touch of satire.

Artistic Director Shana Bestock says: "We've had such great success with commissioning local playwrights to write for our youth ensemble. Stoppard's play usually gets a curtain-raiser of some sort, so I wanted something original that would play into the themes of theatricality and traditional murder-mystery tropes. Frank has been a long-time member of the ensemble, always amazing us with his wit and ear for language that it I trusted him to come up with something that would delight actors and audiences alike!"

Six [free] performances November 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 at the historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake. Donations are encouraged, and go to support SPT's Youth Scholarship Fund.

ABOUT THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND
Tom Stoppard's one-act play follows two theatre critics, Moon and Birdboot, during the performance of a tattered old murder mystery. In an unforeseen twist, the critics become embroiled in a mystery themselves, igniting a series of events that parallel the play itself.

ABOUT ANOTHER DEAD CASEAR
The actor playing Julius Caesar is murdered in the closing performance of Shakespeare's classic. It's up to intrepid detective Alice Brown and her flamboyant self-appointed assistant Horatio Alderbale to unravel the mystery and ferret out the truth behind the smoke, mirrors, daggers and charades surrounding the Laughing Glove Theatre.

"There are many deep, thought-provoking plays out there about life and truth and humanity," says playwright Frank Garland, "This is not one of those plays. Another Dead Caesar is a murder mystery, but it is also a comedy, and its main purpose is to make people laugh. If it manages that, I will be happy. If it sparks off any deep thoughts in some of the audience, that's always a bonus."

To post a comment, you must register and login.