Janice Fronczak
UNK Department of Music and Performing Arts, 308-865-8670
Murder and suspect are the themes of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” which will be presented Nov. 14-18 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The murder mystery will be performed in the UNK Studio Theatre, located in the lower level of the Fine Arts Building. Janice Fronczak, UNK associate professor of theatre, is directing the play.
“In this superlative mystery comedy, statuettes of little soldier boys on the mantel of a house on an island off the coast of Devon fall to the floor and break one by one as those in the house succumb to a diabolical avenger,” Fronczak said. “As the 10 little soldier statues on the fireplace mantle start to disappear, so do the guests.”
Members of the cast include faculty guest actor Jack Garrison, UNK associate professor of theatre, as Sir Lawrence Wargrave, a retired judge who becomes the unspoken leader when the disappearances begin.
The student cast members include Ryan Hruza of Ord as Rogers, a dignified butler with a secret past; Kassandra Wendell of Axtell as Mrs. Rogers, a frail woman dominated by her husband; Colter Lemmon of Crawford as Fred Narracott, the boatman who takes the motley crew to the island; and Madison Hoge of Omaha as Vera Claythorne, a former governess who suffers attacks of hysteria.
The cast continues with Kyle Kuypers of Kearney as the mysterious and resourceful Philip Lombard; Darrin Gonzales of Gering as the rich, athletic and handsome Anthony Martson; Andrew Nelson of Taylor as the former police inspector William Blore; Lucas Cox of Kearney as the guilt-ridden General Mackenzie; Makenzie Hinrichs of Hastings as the ruthlessly religious Emily Brent; and finally Matthew Schwan of Western as the gullible and timid Dr. Armstrong.
“I am a big fan of Agatha Christie’s writing and have always wanted to direct ‘And Then There Were None,’” Fronczak said. “Mysteries are always popular, and I am hoping it will be an intriguing show for the campus and community. The style of the play lends itself to realistic acting, which is a big part of the actor’s university theatre training.”
The stage manager for “And Then There Were None” is Christine Cottam of Hastings. The two assistant stage managers are Stacy Ockinga of Bennet, and Codie Milford of Burlington, Colo., and the technical director is Kyle Patrick of Kearney.
UNK faculty involved in the production, in addition to Fronczak, are Sara Ice, costume designer; Rick Scholwin, sound designer; and Mark Wethington, scenic and lighting designer.
Tickets for the show are $8 for adults; $6 for non-UNK students, faculty and staff; $5 for groups of 10 or more; and free for UNK students with a valid ID. For tickets, or more information, contact the box office at 308.865.8417 or boxoffice@unk.edu.
