'Ten Little Indians' Freeport Theatre performs Christie classic
ALLEGHENY TWP, Westmoreland County — The Freeport Theatre Festival will be serving up a main course of murder in “Ten Little Indians,” created by Agatha Christie and directed by Tom Abbott of Natrona Heights.
“Ten Little Indians,” also known as “And Then There Were None,” opens Friday and runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 31 at the festival site on the Steele Farm, 2498 White Cloud Road, two miles south of Freeport off Route 356.
Eight guests, all strangers, are invited to an island off the English coast.
The character Vera Claythorne, former governess, played by Sharon Riffer of Vandergrift, believes she has been hired as a secretary.
Philip Lombard, played by Courtney Riffer of Vandergrift, an exciting man about the world, and William Blore, played by Jonathan Vertosick of Tarentum, a former detective, believe they have been hired to look out for trouble over the weekend.
Jim Neal of Ford City as Dr. Armstrong thinks he has been hired to keep a helpful eye on the wife of the island’s owner.
Emily Brent (Lisa Camerlo Myers of Freeport), retired British officer General MacKenzie (Dave Ross of Vandergrift), aging playboy Tony Marston (Rik Billock of Vandergrift), and Judge Lawrence Wargrave (Alexander Lindsay of Sarver) all believe they are going to visit old friends.
Upon arrival on the island, the guests are greeted by the butler and housekeeper, Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers (Rennick Steele of Allegheny Township and Kitty Abbott of Natrona Heights), who announce the host and hostess, people they call Mr. and Mrs. Owen, will not arrive until the next day.
That evening, as all the guests gather in the drawing room for dinner, they hear a recorded voice accusing each of them of a specific murder committed in the past and never uncovered. They compare notes and realize that none of them, including the servants, knows who Mr. and Mrs. Owen are, which suggests that they were brought to the island according to a diabolical plan.
As they discuss what to do, Tony Marston chokes on poisoned whiskey and dies. Frightened, they all suspect one another and are plagued by guilt and memories of their past crimes.
Vera Claythorne notices the similarity between the death of Marston and the first verse of a nursery rhyme, “Ten Little Indians,” that hangs in each bedroom. Who will be the next victim? Will anyone survive the rhyme?
Performances begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for senior citizens and $10 for students. Tickets are available by calling 724-295-1934 or at the door.
