Time for ‘Murder’ at A&M-Texarkana
A cast of intriguing characters will try to get away with murder this weekend.
Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s drama program presents the play “Getting Away with Murder” by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth. Shows take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and both 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the university’s Eagle Hall.
Under the direction of the university’s Dr. Brian Billings, these thespians will stage a rendition of a comedy thriller that explores what transpires when seven patients of a New York City psychiatrist, Dr. Conrad Bering, discover their doctor has been murdered.
Rather than notify the authorities,
they investigate the murder themselves. Group therapy becomes a group whodunit. Patients are named for one of the seven deadly sins. This twoact play’s Broadway premiere happened in 1996.
The cast is looking forward to sharing this play. Earlier this week, they could be found at Eagle Hall going through lines and staging, preparing for Saturday’s opening night.
Billy Harley plays a famous, successful political consultant, the actor said. “He’s head and shoulders above everybody else in the play as far as societal standing goes. Very proper,” said the actor, noting his character isn’t named for a traditional sin. Perhaps there are others, he says.
The play introduces one or two characters at a time. “You get to experience what each one of them is like,” Harley said. It has a diverse cast.
“It’s supposed to be very funny and we hope we deliver that,” Harley said.
Although there’s an element of mystery here, the audience will know most of what’s happened by the end of Act I, he said.
Lauren Ort describes “Getting Away With Murder” as a dark comedy. She’s Pamela, the symbol of pride.
“She is not afraid to say anything,” the actress said. “She doesn’t care about hurting people’s feelings or sugar coating things. She comes into the room complaining about the elevator, threatening one of the other characters if he drops her fur coat.”
She describes the character as off-putting at first, but also funny. This opportunity to perform in an A&M-Texarkana play gives her a chance to tap into her love for theater.
“It’s like a black comedy,” Ort said. “It’s gritty. Its humor is not for everybody. It’s off-color.”
Grayson Cauley’s character is “kind of an immature whiny baby.” However, Cauley finds him fun to play. Then again, he prefers to play the bad guy in a play. “I feel that you really test the acting ability in becoming something you’re not,” he said. “You’re really changing your personality.”
Working with Billings is fun and he’s impressed with the cast, he said. He’s performed in other drama department shows, too. In this show, he thinks the audience will respond to the humor.
“I think we’ll get some laughs,” Cauley said. “I think there are some funny scenes in this play.”
(General admission: $8 or $5 for A&M-Texarkana students, faculty and staff. Pay at the door or for email reservations contact Brian Billings at bbillings@tamut.edu.)