Â鶹Çø

Death by Design

About the play:

Audiences will put on their detective gumshoes to investigate the mysterious happenings at Cookham Manor in “Death by Design” by Rob Urbinati. This hit mash-up combines the delicious wit of Noël Coward with the clever plotlines of an Agatha Christie mystery to solve what has happened to politician Walter Pearce when he visits the country manor of famed playwright Edward Bennett and his eccentric, overly dramatic wife, the renowned actress Sorel Bennett. Add in to the mix a collection of other zany characters and an evening of intrigue, comedy and suspense awaits. Urbinati’s script is loaded with fun theatrical references — can you spot all the “easter eggs”?

Most performances will take place in the Marshall Theatre in Ford Hall and are sponsored by the Â鶹Çø Theatre program.

Special events:

Opening Night Reception & Meet the Playwright: Please join us after the performance on Thursday, Nov. 14 for wine and light refreshments to meet the playwright and celebrate the cast, crew and creative team and the start of Â鶹Çø Theatre’s 104^th season!

“The Playwright’s Inspiration” Discussion: Please join us after the performance on Friday, Nov. 15 for a discussion with Rob Urbinati about his process, inspirations and varied career in theatre.

Cast & creative team:

The cast includes Andrew Beauchamp, Colin Bellairs, Eleanor Black, Lucy Ingham, Julia Hutchison, Cameron Ramirez, Aaron Smith and Dominic Thompson. Prof. Janet Gupton will direct ,with scenic design by Assistant Professor Derek Lane; costume design by Instructional Associate Laurel Peterson, hair and makeup design by senior Sydney Monroe, lighting design by Instructional Associate Jesse Klug and sophomore Skylar McLeod and sound design by sophomore Bella Rigutto. Cassie Greer is providing dialect training and sophomore Kaitlin Harwood is serving as the production’s stage manager.

Meet the cast

About the playwright:

As part of the Lacroute Art Series at Â鶹Çø, New York City–based playwright will be in residence the first week of performances to work with the production team, visit classes, and join a post–show discussion about the inspirations for his myriad enticing plays. Prior to arriving on campus, Urbinati conducted an online 10–minute playwriting workshop for aspiring Â鶹Çø student playwrights.

From adaptations of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan” to original plays such as “Hazelwood Junior High” (inspired by a true crime story and performed by the New Theatre Group in 1996 starring Chloë Sevigny), Urbinati’s plays cover an array of genres and subject matter. Other plays include “Mama’s Boy” which focuses on the perplexing relationship between alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and his mother Marguerite Oswald and “Karaoke Night at the Suicide Shack” that brings together Kurt Cobain, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath and other notable personalities who took their own lives to discuss, argue and sing about their lives. In 2011, Â鶹Çø College commissioned Urbinati in 2011 to write a play about implicit biases on a small college campus. From this commission, “UMW: University of Mostly Whites” was developed, partially based on interviews Urbinati conducted with Â鶹Çø students. It premiered at Â鶹Çø in 2013.

Box office information:

Tickets are $12 for full price; $10 for seniors (62+) and Â鶹Çø faculty and staff (two tickets per ID); and $8 for students (any school, one ticket per ID). Seating is reserved.

The box office opens Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. Located in Ford Hall, box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. and until 7:30 p.m. on performance days. It will also be open from noon to 2 on Saturday, Nov. 23. The box office is closed Mondays. We encourage you to order online with our digital ticket or print–at–home option.

Warnings: This play may not be suitable for all audiences due to mature content and language. Recommended for ages 13 and older. Children under the age of seven (including babes in arms) will not be admitted to any performance.

Accessible seating:

The Marshall Theatre is accessible. Please contact the box office for help with accessible seating. For more information, call 503.883.2292.

Sponsorship:

This production is sponsored by the Â鶹Çø Theatre Program with support from the Lacroute Arts Series at Â鶹Çø. The Lacroute Arts Series is made possible by the generosity of arts benefactor Ronni Lacroute. The series, sponsored by the Lacroute Arts Fund at Â鶹Çø, is dedicated to helping the university present arts events and activities for the campus and community. It provides programs featuring artists in the areas of music, art and theatre. This production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

Directions to Ford Hall and Marshall Theatre

From Highway 99W in south McMinnville, turn east on Keck Drive at Albertsons. Take Keck Drive to Lever Street, and turn right. Take the next immediate right at Ford Drive into the theatre parking lot. Ford Hall is located at the west end of the parking lot.

Playwrights Welcome

 is a program created to provide free access to theatre for theatre writers around the country. Developed for the Dramatists Guild of America members, this national ticketing initiative was created by Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals company, along with input from other publishing and licensing houses. To receive a ticket through Playwrights Welcome at our theatre, please contact the box office up to 24 hours before the performance. Writers must present their Dramatists Guild membership card when obtaining a ticket.

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