College Play

Aunty Bess Landson wants to buy Muldoon’s Mill and remodel it into a house. What Aunty Bess does not know is that the mill is the scene of a recent murder. This poses problems in both courting and detective work for Kate, her niece, and Kate’s rival boyfriends. The plot thickens when a body found in an old gunpowder chest mysteriously disappears—then reappears at the most inopportune moments. Adding to the mayhem, Dr. Hookman and his three charges from a nearby asylum show up at the door, having lost their way during this dark and stormy night. The search to uncover the identity of the murderer ensues, and no one is exempt from suspicion. Who is the murderer? Who does Kate decide to marry? And, what about that wandering corpse?

Guernsey LePelley's play Absolutely Murder was written in 1955. It was last performed at Maranatha in 1986, when the cast included Kristin Carlson, Bruce Cournoyer, and Earl Martin.

This year's play will be directed by Carol Senn Ruffin. Performances will take place April 15-17, 2010, at the Maranatha Gymnasium. Group sales begin Feb. 14, and tickets go on sale to the general public March 21. For more information, call 920-206-2370.

Lynnae Lawson

Lynnae Lawson (Kate Landson), a junior from Independence, Missouri, is majoring in English Education with a minor in Dramatic Productions. Her previous roles in Maranatha plays include Miss Clara Eynsford Hill in Pygmalion (Spring 2008); Mercy Lewis in The Crucible (Fall 2008); and Belle, Scrooge’s fiancée, in A Christmas Carol (Fall 2009). Lawson and her parents have for many years contributed set construction skills for church and school plays as well as community theatre productions. “They are my inspiration,” Lawson said of her mother and father. Lawson said Mystery at Muldoon’s Mill: Absolutely Murder has been fun to participate in due to the humorous interaction between the characters and an enjoyable role as Kate. “She constantly flirts with two boys at the same time, which adds to the humor, and she’s kind of an airhead,” Lawson said. “I’m not really a ditzy personality, so it’s a challenge to step out of myself.”

Rob Caudill

Rob Caudill (Sky Bentley) is a sophomore Pastoral Studies major from Danville, Illinois. He took part in three plays, in both lead and supporting roles, while at Armstrong-Potomac High School. He also was in a summer readers theatre production of To Kill a Mockingbird at Danville Area Community College. Caudill was part of the cast ensemble in Maranatha’s Spring 2009 production of The Music Man, playing a salesman and a River City teenager. “The interaction with other people, and establishing good friendships along the way, is what I love most about being in plays,” said Caudill, who plans to become a youth pastor when he graduates. “There is value for ministry in having to read and memorize and being put in front of your peers.”

Kent Halsey

Kent Halsey (Dr. Hookman) is a senior Humanities major (Letters track) from Fridley, Minnesota. Halsey has an interesting history with Mystery at Muldoon’s Mill: Absolutely Murder. His youth pastor, Bruce Cournoyer, was Sky Bentley in the 1986 Maranatha production. As a junior at Woodcrest Baptist Academy in 2004, Halsey also played Dr. Hookman in that school’s production—directed by his father. “It all feels familiar, but it is still a challenge,” Halsey said. “As with any play, you need to remember other people’s lines as well as your own.” When asked if he was concerned about becoming too closely identified with the Dr. Hookman character, Halsey said, “I don’t know if I’m cut out for any other parts.”

Cast List

Lynnae Lawson (Kate Landson), Sarah Ray (Aunty Bess), Elizabeth Copeman (Mrs. Ranch), Elizabeth Boese (Lorna), Brittany Fernandez (Nan), Hannah Vinokuroff (Dottie), Hannah Pill (Emeline), Danielle Hicks (Nurse), Katy Schehr (Mrs. Cordyce), Blaine Landowski (Sam Cordyce), Rob Caudill (Sky Bentley), Tim Struska (Lane Burrage), Kent Halsey (Dr. Hookman), Eric Fish (Charlie Bowert).

Performances

April 15-17at 7 p.m.
April 17 at 2 p.m.

Box Office Information

Tickets: 920-206-2370
Box Office: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday
On Campus Sales: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday
Methods of Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover