Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s 2015/16 Quadracci Powerhouse season continues with The Mousetrap, a celebration of the 125th Anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth. A family-friendly whodunit, this classic has thrilled sold-out houses on London’s West End for over 60 years. A murder is committed at a newly opened rooming house, and the snowbound hosts and guests—with the aid of a police inspector— must determine who the killer is before he or she strikes again. Rep Favorite J.R. Sullivan directs a cast of stage veterans to realize Christie’s masterfully woven plot, luring in audiences before delivering an unforgettable final twist!
The cast features Rep Associate Artist Jonathan Gillard Daly (Milwaukee Rep: Harvey, Cabaret, The Diary of Anne Frank; First Stage: Big Fish), now in his twentieth season as an actor at The Rep, as Major Metcalf; Lunt-Fontanne Fellow and Rep Associate Artist Laura Gordon (Milwaukee Rep: Good People, Harvey, Noises Off ) as Mrs. Boyle; and Greg Vinkler (three Joseph Jefferson Awards, two Artisan Awards, an After Dark Award; Broadway: West Side Story, 2009), the Artistic Director of Peninsula Players Theatre in Door County, as Mr. Paravicini. The cast also includes Milwaukee favorites Greta Wohlrabe (2010/11 Artistic Intern Ensemble Member; Milwaukee Rep: Venus in Fur, Clybourne Park, Cabaret) as Miss Casewell and Kelley Faulkner (Milwaukee Rep: Harvey, Noises Off, Ragtime, The Diary of Anne Frank, Cabaret, Always-Patsy Cline, Assassins) as Mollie Ralston. Rounding out the cast are Will Allan (Steppenwolf Theatre: Good People, Animal Farm; Goodman Theatre: The Seagull, Dartmoor Prison) as Detective Sergeant Trotter; Brendan Meyer (American Players Theatre: American Buffalo, Alcestis, Romeo and Juliet; Steppenwolf Theatre: Lord of the Flies) as Christopher Wren; and Matthew Mueller (Drury Lane Oakbrook: Peter and the Starcatcher; Utah Shakespeare Festival: Romeo and Juliet) as Giles Ralston.
“There is usually a very good reason why certain plays get produced for decades,” said Artistic Director, Mark Clements.”The Mousetrap is a case in point. With its wonderfully crafted plot, it still continues to surprise and confound, while also giving us a healthy dollop of British tongue-in-cheek humor. Director J.R. Sullivan, who has a 40 year association with The Rep, was, hands down, my first choice to direct this piece. I knew he would extrapolate the aforementioned qualities with great style and panache. He did a wonderful production of The 39 Steps in my inaugural season and I am excited to see his work on The Mousetrap.”
The creative team for The Mousetrap includes: J.R. Sullivan (Director); Jack Magaw (Scenic Designer); Rachel Laritz (Costumer Designer); Jason Fassl (Lighting Designer); Lindsay Jones (Sound Designer) Jill Walmsley Zager (Dialect Coach); Jamie Cheatham (Fight Choreographer); JC Clementz (Casting Director); Lurie Horns Pfeffer* (Stage Manager); and Anthony Poston* (Assistant Stage Manager) The Mousetrap features 2015/16 Emerging Professional Residents Ryan Holihan (Assistant Director) and Rivka Kelly (Stage Management Intern).
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
± Rep Associate Artist
The Mousetrap runs in the Quadracci Powerhouse from November 17 – December 20 (Opening Night is November 20). Tickets (starting at $20 and subject to change) can be purchased online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490 or at the Ticket Office (108 E Wells Street). The Mousetrap is presented by Executive Producers Greg and Rhonda Oberland and Associate Producers Steve and Melanie Booth. The Rep is sponsored in part by The United Performing Arts Fund.
