Black Coffee
By Agatha Christie
Featuring Hercule Poirot
Director: Chris Cardoni

Performances:
Thursday–Saturday at 8:00 pm
February 25–March 12
Saturday, March 5 & 12 at 2:00 pm

Dame Agatha’s celebrated Belgian detective Hercule Poirot once again puts his little grey cells to the test as he solves a murder mystery in Black Coffee.  In a classic “closed room” setting at a country estate, someone has killed Sir Claud Amory (owner of said estate), and everyone in residence is a plausible suspect.  Monsieur Poirot had previously been contacted by Sir Claud about a possible robbery, and since the good detective was around anyway when the murder took place, he felt that he ought to stay around to find the murderer.  The action all takes place in one room and the audience is allowed to sift through the clues just as Poirot is doing, and follow him as he puts the pieces together.  This is classic mystery fun, offering delicious suspects and a much-loved, world-class detective, written by one of the masters of the genre.

Auditions to be held Sunday, November 15 & Monday, November 16, 7-10pm.  No appointment necessary. Auditions will be readings from the script.

Callbacks: TBD – Tuesday 11/17 or Wednesday 11/18 7pm

 Email Here with questions. Click HERE for a pdf script. The script is also available from Amazon.

 Rehearsals: Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 7pm.

First read-through: Sunday, December 13, with initial blocking rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday 12/15/17. After a holiday break, regular rehearsals will begin Sunday, January 3. Tech Sunday is February 21, and opening night is Thursday, February 25. Strike is Sunday, March 13.

Performances: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8pm, February 25 through March 12, with Saturday matinees on March 5 and 12.

Note on Accents: Poirot must speak with a strong Belgian (French) accent. Dr. Carelli preferably speaks with an Italian accent. Lucia “speaks English perfectly”, but preferably with at least a slight indication of Italian origin. Everyone else speaks with an English accent – preferably. All that said, if doing an accent gets in the way of your acting during the audition, don’t do one.

Characters

NOTE: Ages are suggestions for the apparent ages of the characters, not necessarily of the actors playing them.

Women:

Mrs. Tredwell*:

40s-70s. The housekeeper: a quintessential English servant: quiet, efficient, and observant. Are her critical comments about the guests – the “foreigners” in particular –an attempt to divert suspicion?

Lucia Amory:

Late 20s-Late 30s. Richard Amory’s wife: “A beautiful woman…She is half-Italian but speaks English perfectly.” Passionate, yet somehow reticent and clearly troubled – what is she hiding?

Miss Caroline Amory:

50s-70s. Sir Claud’s sister: “A lady of the old school, a little fussy but kind.” Do her good-natured reminiscences mask a darker nature?

Barbara Amory:

20s. Sir Claud’s neice: “An extremely modern young woman.” A few years earlier, she would have been a flapper. But is really she as flighty as she acts?

Edna Raynor*:

Late 20s – 40s. Sir Claud’s secretary: “An unremarkable looking woman.” Clever, reserved, observant – too observant? She’s a valuable assistant, or so it would seem.

*NOTE: in the published script this character is male.

Men:

Richard Amory:

Late 20s- Late 30s. Sir Claud’s son: “He is the ordinary type of good-looking Englishman” – but there’s more too him than that, or Lucia wouldn’t be in love with him. He’s in desperate financial straits – but is he desperate enough to murder his own father?

Dr. Carelli:

30s-60s. “He is very dark…he wears perfectly fitting evening clothes. His manner is suave, and he speaks faultless English with a slight accent.”  An acquaintance of Lucia’s from Italy. The good doctor seems to know a good deal about poisons. Does his suave manner mask a sinister motive?

Sir Claud Amory:

50s-70s. The victim: “An aescetic-looking man.” A noted scientist and notorious tightwad – brilliant, demanding, and brusque. The kind of man who might push anyone to the brink of murder – but who did he push the hardest?

Dr. Graham:

30s-60s. The local doctor. He’s seen a few things in his career. Intelligent and capable, and well able to handle the demands of a crime scene and a criminal investigation.

Inspector James H. Japp of Scotland Yard:

30s-60s. Gruff and able, a friendly but straight-ahead policeman; he’s respectful of Poirot’s methods, and fully able to recognize their value.

Captain Arthur Hastings, O.B.E.:

30-50.The eternal sidekick – Poirot’s own Dr. Watson. Stolid, jovial, upright, brave – perhaps a bit dim, and a bit too easily beguiled by a pretty face; absolutely faithful to Poirot and absolutely devoted to seeing justice done.

Hercule Poirot:

Ageless. The noted private detective, formerly of the Belgian police, now living and working in England. Dame Agatha has written a great deal about his appearance and habits – his fastidious manner of dress, his lacquered black hair and primly waxed mustache, his appetites and peculiarities – but more important than physical appearance is the force of his personality, the verve and panache with which he applies the “little grey cells” of his formidable brain to the solving of crimes. He’ll go out of his way to help a lady in distress, and will stop at nothing to bring a murderer to justice. He’s full of surprises – suddenly he’ll speak fluent Italian, or stop a suspect with a judo move. We need to see the steel under his impeccable manners and occasional playfulness. N’est-ce pas?