"A Murder Is Announced"

August 11, 2016 — If you were intent on committing murder, why would you run an announcement in the local newspaper notifying everyone, and giving the exact time and place you planned to do the deed? Dora Bunner (Jean Mar Brown) discovered the announcement and showed it to her live-in companion, Letitia Blacklock (Penny Purcell), owner of the home, and the exact place where the announcement said the murder would occur at 6:30 that evening, Friday the 13th. Letitia laughed it off as someone's idea of a joke. Later in the evening, as 6:30 approached and the house was filled with guests, no one was taking it seriously, but there was some gallows humor over the possibility it might be true, and which among them might be the victim.

Then, at 6:30 sharp, there was a flash of light, the power went off, the room was plunged into darkness, there was much screaming, and shots rang out! That's all I'm going to tell you. When the lights came back on, one of Agatha Christie's most puzzling and complicated mysteries was underway.

The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, in their 86th season, presented Christie's "A Murder Is Announced." The Barnstormers have presented many Christie mysteries over the years, and their experience with this author's work pays off. The actors seem to have fun with the material, and their enthusiasm draws the audience in.

Dale Place, no stranger to British police inspector roles, is Inspector Craddock. His persistent questioning gradually fits the pieces of the mystery together, occasionally veering off in wrong directions as the various accounts of those present don't add up. Complicating things further are some individuals who turn out not to be who they say they are. The inspector gets more than a little help from Vinette Cotter as Miss Marple (yes, that Miss Marple).

Cheryl Mullings is Mitzi, the housekeeper, a domineering, perpetually angry Russian immigrant with a persecution complex. What is her part in the mystery? She seems to hate everyone. In typical Dame Agatha fashion, the mystery isn't solved until the final minutes, and as always it's an outcome we least expected.

Rounding out the excellent cast are Angela Hope Smith, Buddy Haardt, Madeleine Maby, Kathy Somssich, Ryan Malyar, Andrew Codispoti and Michael Costa. The play was directed by Barnstormers artistic director Bob Shea. Set design was by Sarah Rozene and costume design by Mary Selvoski.