BWW Interviews: THE ABDUCTION to Premiere at Apollo Civic Theater

For fans of popular TV crime series like NCIS or Criminal Minds, imagine how much more suspenseful a show about a kidnapping would be if it was actually happening, in real time, right in front of you..... onstage. The Abduction, opening on January 23 at the Apollo Civic Theater is a modern mystery-thriller sure to chase away the winter doldrums.

Directed by Jeff Wine, The Abduction is a modern-day thriller featuring an average American family. After celebrating her parents' anniversary dinner, Cindy Grant is forced off the road while driving back to her college during a thunderstorm and abducted by a mysterious stranger. Her parents, Allen and Shelia, desperately struggle to raise the ransom by the criminal's deadline and Cindy's boyfriend goes off to search for her, all while they continue to receive chilling cell phone calls from Cindy and her abductor.

The actors in The Abduction quickly rose to the challenge of developing multi-faceted characters to increase the tension of the mystery thriller.

"It was easy enough for me to understand the roles of wife and mother that are a part of my character Sheila, and I also know the pain of tragic loss, but it was harder for me to understand and depict her choice of alcohol as a way of dealing with her pain. Although that proved to be a challenge, I do enjoy that the role of Sheila is a fully developed character and we get to see her strengths and her weaknesses" said Sandra DeRocha on playing Sheila Grant.

"I identify with my character because I'm a writer at heart. I love a good story and to be able to take people on a journey where only you, as the writer, know where they will end up, is a thrill" said Brian Terrell, who plays Allen Grant.

"My character, Jonathan, is flamboyant and urbane; I am rather quiet and down-to-earth. It's been fun playing someone very different from myself. I decided to give him a snooty British accent to emphasize his personality, and I have to be careful to maintain that dialect consistently" said Henry Becker, on playing Jonathon Mueller

In addition to developing the complex characters seen onstage, another challenge for this individual thriller is that the abductor is never actually seen onstage.

"The production has been challenging for the two lead actors because they carry the bulk of the action. They also have to interact with pre-recorded 'phone calls,' and the timing is tricky" said Becker.

"I think the biggest challenge we faced was working on our timing. Part of the mystery in this story is that you never see the abductor. They are only heard over the speaker phone, so those lines were all recorded and will be played back during the show. Timing is very important to make sure that we all say our lines as they are written so the flow of dialogue will be smooth" said Terrell.

Audiences may be used to the typical murder mystery format, but will be very surprised at the twists in this modern mystery thriller.

"I think audiences will enjoy seeing something different on stage. I don't think there are a lot of contemporary mysteries or thrillers done on our local stages, so they should seize the opportunity to see this one!" said DeRocha.

"This show is different from other mysteries. In most mysteries, you have all of the suspects in front of you but [in this show] you have other characters that you never see; you only hear them on the phone. It's just a great story with a twist being told by great people" said Terrell.

"This show is a mystery-thriller, which I think most people enjoy because they get to play detective and try to determine who the villain is. As with any good mystery, there are some twists and turns, and the ending definitely will surprise people" said Becker.

The Abduction also features Megan West as Cindy Wallace and Rennes Carbaugh as Britt Phillips. The Abduction runs January 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and February 1. Tickets are $15 for Friday and Saturday evening shows and $12 for Sunday matinees. Student tickets are $7 for all performances. The Apollo Civic Theater is located at 128 East Martin Street, Martinsburg, WV, 25402. For more information about The Abduction and upcoming performances, please visit www.apollo-theatre.org

Photo Credit: Adam Blackstock and Apollo Civic Theater

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