OK, so two feet of snow and it's not even January yet is enough to make a rising Chicago theater director consider mounting a play in the Virgin Islands, even if the play stinks. Far from it, says Robin Stanton.
That's two reasons for taking on "The Final Twist" by Ken Whitmore and Alfred Bradley at Pistarckle Theater.
Stanton said that Pistarckle's Nikki Emerich has latched onto what Stanton calls "a wonderful new play" in the 1998 work.
"It's a murder mystery that spends a lot of time poking fun at the conventions of murder mysteries," she said. "TV kind of killed off the stage murder mystery because it can do them so well. In order to do it successfully on stage, the play has to be new and hilarious and able to pull the wool over people's eyes."
In the play, an aging actor who's been through six wives and six flops hires an aspiring playwright to create the perfect theatrical vehicle for his return to fame and fortune. "What's different about the play is that it outdoes all murder mysteries, and part of the comedy comes from taking those elements apart for the audience," said Stanton.
The director first visited the Virgin Islands in the early '90s and eventually got in touch with Emerich, who was looking for a Chicago director. Stanton's schedule was booked at the time, but she begged Emerich to call her back and give her the opportunity to work here.
In Chicago, Stanton's specialty is developing new plays, and she has been up for Joseph Jefferson awards and citations a number of times, the Windy City equivalent of the Tonys and Obies. She has been a director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company's New Plays Lab and has worked with artistic directors and dramaturgs of most of the city's pre-eminent theaters.
Stanton also recruited Chicago actress Holli Hornlien to appear in "The Final Twist," which also features Val Kuffel and Yasir Rashid. The play opens at 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, for "pay-as-you-can night." Performances continue at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12 and 13 at the new Pistarckle Theater Building in Tillett Gardens.
Performances are also scheduled at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 19 and 20, along with a matinee at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21 and a final performance at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
For information or reservations call 775-7877.
