TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Ponders Past, Present, and Poirot in Mystery-Filled West Coast Premiere “Mrs. Christie”
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley kicks off its 53rd Season with the West Coast Premiere of Heidi Armbruster’s “Mrs. Christie”. TheatreWorks’ Artistic Director Giovanna Sardelli helms this madcap mystery investigating the unsolved 1926 disappearance of the queen of mystery novels herself, Agatha Christie. Almost a century later, Christie superfan Lucy unveils a clue about the author’s highly publicized 11-day vanishing and resolves to crack the case. In parallel storylines that blend past, present, and Poirot, Lucy discovers the power of finding oneself by disappearing. “Mrs. Christie” will be presented through October 29, 2023 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View.
This imaginative and speculative romp’s World Premiere directed by Sardelli at Dorset Theatre Festival has been called “a most entertaining mélange of biography, sparkling with magical realism and theatrical wit” by Berkshire On Stage. BroadwayWorld lauded the work as “sophisticated, smart, funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Whether you're an Agatha Christie aficionado or you just like great art, this play has the power to move you. It is a love letter to writing, to theatre, to the mysterious and indomitable human spirit.”
Director Sardelli has assembled a talented cast to bring to life this whimsical whodunit. Jennifer Le Blanc is featured as detective fiction writer Agatha Christie. Le Blanc won a Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Award for her performance in Arabian Shakespeare Festival’s ‘Twelfth Night’. She has also appeared onstage at American Conservatory Theater, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Aurora Theatre Company, Shotgun Players, Pacific Repertory Theater, Prague Shakespeare Company, Jewel Theatre Company, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, Capital Stage Company, and Artists Repertory Theatre.
Nicole Javier takes the role as Lucy, a present day Agatha Christie fan who pursues a lead on Mrs. Christie’s disappearance. Javier has also acted with La Jolla Playhouse, Aurora Theatre Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Crowded Fire Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Shakespeare Orange County, Cornerstone Theatre Company, and Provincetown Playhouse.
Bay Area theatre veteran Aldo Billingslea is Colonel Archie Christie, Agatha’s husband. Billingslea’s theatre credits include roles with American Conservatory Theater, Aurora Theatre Company, California Shakespeare Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe, Cutting Ball Theater, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Magic Theatre, Marin Shakespeare Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Center Repertory Company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Portland Center Stage, and Portland Repertory Theatre.
Performing with TheatreWorks’ Young Playwrights Project, Kina Kantor makes her mainstage debut as Archie’s mistress Nancy as well as Chloe, who aids Lucy in her present day quest. Kantor has performed with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Phoenix Theatre, Bindlestiff Studios, Theater Rhinoceros, and Stage to Screen. As a member of the Actor’s Reading Collective, she participated in readings with San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Playwright’s Foundation, Remote Theater, and Boston Court Pasadena.
Elissa Beth Stebbins returns to TheatreWorks as Charlotte, Mrs. Christie’s secretary and assistant, as well as Mary, a maid. She starred as the titular role in in last season’s ‘Nan and the Lower Body’ after originating it in TheatreWorks’ New Works Festival, in addition to appearing in ‘A Civil War Christmas’ and touring in TheatreWorks’ Oskar program.
Lucinda Hitchcock Cone returns to TheatreWorks as Jane, an enigmatic elderly spinster who is a fan of Mrs. Christie’s work. Cone also appeared in TheatreWorks’ productions of ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Tuck Everlasting’, ‘Outside Mullingar’, ‘Ragtime’, and ‘Cabaret’. Cone performed in the National Tour of ‘Big River’and has been seen regionally at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and others.
Performing in TheatreWorks’ ‘The Santaland Diaries’ and ‘Archduke’, Max Tachisreturns to TheatreWorks as present day Christie scholar William, and Christie’s publisher Collins. He won a TBA Award for his performance in City Lights Theatre Company’s ‘Handle With Care’.
William Thomas Hodgson returns to TheatreWorks as Le Detective, a mysterious Belgian genius detective. Providing choreography for TheatreWorks’ hit production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ last season, Hodgson performed in TheatreWorks’ ‘Calligraphy’. His theatre credits also include roles with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Oakland Theater Project (Ubuntu Theater Project), Berkeley Playhouse, Shotgun Players, and Mixed Blood Theatre.
“Mrs. Christie” features scenic design by Christopher Fitzer, costume design by Cathleen Edwards, lighting design by Wen-Liang Liao, and sound design by James Ard. Taylor McQuesten serves as stage manager with Emily Wolf as assistant stage manager.
For tickets (starting at $30) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (877)-662-8978.
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Photo caption: The world of Agatha Christie (background, l to r: Aldo Billingslea, Jennifer Le Blanc, Max Tachis, Lucinda Hitchcock Cone, William Thomas Hodgson, Elissa Beth Stebbins, and Kina Kantor) comes to life as Lucy (front - Nicole Javier) writes in TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's "Mrs. Christie," currently performing October 29 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. (Photo Credit: Kevin Berne)