Murder Takes the Stage at SHS
By Mike Magnuson, Staff Writer at the Daily Globe
November 1991
Students at Shelby Senior High will be parties to murder most foul when “Bull in a China Shop” opens on the Little Theater Stage November 15th and 16th.
“It is a short of cross between The Golden Girls and Arsenic and Lace,” said Jim Hunter, who directs the play. The plot revolves around a group of spinsters living together in a boarding house in the 1950s. They decided to kill off one of their own to attract the attention of one of the police detective who lives across the street, Hunter confided.
The ploy fails, however, causing the unmarried elderly ladies to enlist the aid of a female reporter, who also ends up pursuing the dashing detective.
The teacher would not give away any more of the plot, but encouraged the public to attend Friday and Saturday’s performances for the startling conclusions.
“This was my senior class play,” Hunter noted with nostalgia. He and his Ashland High School classmates performed the play in 1960, the same year it came out, he said.
“We’ve been at it beginning in Mid-September,” Hunter said. Auditions were held early in the month and the first read through of the play was conducted around September 15th cast members estimated.
Since that time the cast has rehearsed and prepared for opening night. Crew members gathered spotlights and necessary equipment for their first technical rehearsal Monday evening. The cast’s first dress rehearsal took place that same night without make-up, after just having assembled the necessary costumes.
Cast members’ full dress rehearsal was held Tuesday night.The three act play begins at 8pm both night and will include two intermissions.
Keith Dabney stars as detective Dennis O’Finn and Kristen Giese plays the part of Miss Hildegard, the land lady. Other spinsters included: Cari Gilkison as Miss Birdie, Mary Potter as Miss Amantha, Angela Wilt as Miss Lucy, Julie Young as Miss Nettie and Stacy Yeager as Miss Elizabeth.
Dan Osborne plays the part of Detective Kramer, O’Finn’s sidekick, while Aaron Bueno and Brian Betts play the stretcher bearers.
Page Lynch acts out the role of Jane Rogers, the reporter and Jason Gilbert rounds out the cast as Johnson, the finger print expert.
This production was assembled under Student Director Maria Hartings, Stage Manager Aaron Bueno, Curtin Operator Jamie Reardon and Prompters Paul Landin and Brian Betts.
Set construction was done by Betts, Dabney, Potter, Wilt, Osborn, Fred Gomez, Jenny Dabney, Ralph Shank, Marsha Adams, Jenny Mayer, Jamie Reardon and Brian Walker. Jenny Dabney also contributed the logo art. Taking tickets the night of the event will be Katie Grin, Jodie Saunders, Anita Clagg and Becky Stevens.
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