A Slight Case of Murder

Circa 1930's - just after Prohibition has ended

Synopsis:

Remy Marko, racketeering ex-beer baron of Prohibition days, has become a legitimate brewer, chiefly at the wish of his wife, Nora. Their daughter, Mary, is arriving home after receiving an expensive education abroad. While abroad she met the handsome and wealthy Chancellor Whitelaw, scion of an old line family. But Mary insists she won't marry Chance unless he gets a job. The Markos and an assortment of ex-thugs, who now play with great discomfort the roles of chauffeur, cook and butler, arrive at the house they have rented for the racing season at Saratoga. But they find the lifeless remains of four gangsters resting peacefully in an upstairs room. These "parties" just brought off a sensational highjacking job worth half a million dollars, and came to the house to satisfy a grudge against Remy. At the same moment a traffic cop arrives. But the cop is none other than Chance, who decided to get work as a policeman. Remy "don't like cops," and his dislike is further emphasized when Chance's father comes to the party at the house the same evening. Father is a rather narrow-minded gentleman who is taken aback at the strange antics that go on at the party, and he determines to break off the match between his son and Mary. Chance, however, is given a marvelous opportunity to make a hero of himself and is induced by Remy to make it look as though he captured the four highjackers himself. This reconciles the two families. The figure of Douglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom, the orphan boy whom Remy has brought up to Saratoga in order that he may enjoy the cultural advantages of the place, pursues its ridiculous way through the play; it is through him that Remy discovers the cash stolen by the highjackers, which enables him to weather a financial crises with two hardboiled bankers.

Cast of Characters:

Principles

Remy Marko - ex-racketeer - now a legitimate brewer

Nora, his wife - reformed Moll, now wanting to fit in high society

Mary, their daughter, just returned from 'finishing' in Europe

Douglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom - an orphan - precocious   - (8-16  but must be able to look a like young boy)

Lefty - Marko's chauffeur, formerly one of his henchmen

Giuseepe, cook, formerly one of his henchmen

Mike, butler, formerly one of his henchmen

Chancellor (Chance) Whitelaw, Mary's fiance

Commissioner (Jim Mahoney), an important politician

Theodore Whitelaw, Chance's father

The Singer, one of the 'boys', a bookie, sings

Sad Sam, a bookie

Kirk, an ex-jockey

Clyde Post , a banker

Cal Ritter, a banker

Minor Characters:
Innocence, a gangster, an Austrailian
Sally, who sings
Battling Wolf (Champ) a fighter
Pete Ryan, fight manager
Mrs. Ryerson
Miss Smith, the Commissioner's Secretary
Ms. Ritter
Loretta Paige, old friend of Nora's,  sings
Col. Jake Schultz
Miss Franklin, Mrs. Ryerson's sister
First and Second Policemen
Madeleine, Nora's maid
(various guests and voices off stage)

Production Staff:

  Producer: Leslie Raab
  Director: Kathleen Mardis
  Asst. Director: Leslie Raab
  Costumer:  Anne Simmons

  Set Construction: David Clack

  Set Painting: David Babulski

  Stage Manager: Brittany Johnson
  House Manager: Sally Rector
  Production Assistant: Sharyn Berg
  Lighting Design: Wendy Mardis
  Light/Sound Operator: Cayla Folsom
  Program: Dawn Berlo

Cast List:

01.  Christopher Suddeth  ............ Chance/Pete Ryan
02.  Hope McKenzie  .................  Miss Smith /Miss Franklin
03.  Dave Schroeder ................... Clyde Post
04.  Keegan Robison  .................. Miss Smith /Miss Franklin
05.  Jonathan Cates   ................... Mr. Whitelaw
06.  Tom Todaro  .......................  Lefty
07.  Cassandra Gabrell   .............  The Singer
09.  Greg Simons*   ...................  Mike
10.  Andy Hoeckele   .................  Remy Marko
11.  Greg Carey   .......................  Sad Sam
12.  Austin Kulp  ........................  Guissepe

13.  Javier Prusky  .....................  Chance/Pete Ryan
14.  Andrew Lewis  ...................  Douglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom
15.  William Lasater  ..................  Innocence
16.  Kirk Buis...................            Policeman
17.  Chris Heraghty  ...................  Kirk
18.  Jackie Barbour  .................... Mary/Guest
19.  Lee Jones  ..........................  Commissioner
20.  Emily Arvidson  ...................  Mary/Guest
22.  Michel Berg  ....................... Madeleine
23.  Katie Van Laninham  ........... Mrs. Ryerson
24.  Carol Counter  ..................... Loretta
26.  Charles Hanum  ................... Guiseppe
28.  Nancy Powell  .....................  Nora
     Jennifer Mardis                      Sally

    

through special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.