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'The Game's Afoot' coming to Palace stage under veteran director Carol Ceynowa

Lead Summary
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By
Mavis Fodness

Three things drew Carol Ceynowa to direct her 25th play, “The Game’s Afoot,” and her ninth production with the Green Earth Players in Luverne.
First of all, the cast needed to be small. “The Game’s Afoot” has eight characters.
Secondly, the script had to be well written.“The Game’s Afoot” play is authored by Ken Ludwig, who also wrote the comic play, “Moon Over Buffalo,” specifically for Carol Burnett’s comeback to Broadway in 1995.
 And the play also needed small character parts for her and her husband, Tim, to perform. The Ceynowas’ appearances occur within the first five minutes of the play, where the “play within a play” takes place.
The eight cast members are all veterans of previous GEP productions. Several worked with Ceynowa in previous GEP productions and also in plays she directed for Luverne High School.
“They are all like family,” she said.
The cohesiveness of the smaller cast was evident as the group rehearsed last week at their GEP location on Main Street Luverne.
The lead is portrayed by Casey McKenzie as William Gillette, an admired actor all over the world for his leading role in the play, “Sherlock Holmes.”
In December 1936 he is recovering at home after someone shot him in the arm during a cast call. For Christmas he invites his fellow actors and actresses over to his Connecticut castle for a weeklong celebration.
The cast includes Aggie Wheeler (played by Nicole Henrichs), Simon Bright (David Vis), Madge Geisel (Anissa Vis), and Felix Geisel (Shawn Kinsinger).
DJ Luethje is Gillette’s mother, Martha Gillette, and Katie Walgrave is the gossip and play critic Daria Chase, who has written several scathing reviews about everyone in the cast.
When the week of anticipated Christmas cheer is interrupted by one of the guests being stabbed to death, Inspector Henry Goring (Jim Harsma) is called in. As the investigation gets underway, Gillette assumes his Sherlock Holmes persona to track down the killer before the next victim appears.
The plot has many twists and turns, an element that Director Ceynowa enjoys.
Lots of movement takes place in “The Game’s Afoot,” along with witty lines delivered in rapid succession.
The GEP production is on stage March 20-22 and March 26-29 at the Palace Theatre in Luverne.
Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for students.
The Palace Box Office is open on Main Street Luverne from noon to 5 p.m. weekdays or call 507-283-4339 for tickets.
Tickets are also available online at www.palacetheatre.us.

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