Ivy Gravely woos Capt. Wiles with some high-bush blueberry muffins and coffee on her front porch in a scene from Pelican Players production of “The Trouble with Harry.” LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Pelican Players to present “cartoonish whodunit” July 25-27
By LOIS KINDLE
Kings Point’s Pelican Players is currently rehearsing scenes for “The Trouble with Harry,” a 1950s Alfred Hitchcock film adapted for the stage by Seattle playwright Daniel M. Estes.
The show will be presented in two acts at 7 p.m. July 25-27 and at a 1:30 p.m. Saturday matinee July 27 at Kings Point’s Veterans Theater, 1900 Clubhouse Lane. Its length is a bit over two hours, and there will be an intermission.
“The trouble with Harry is he’s dead, and no knows what to do with the body,” said co-director Donna Fiore, describing the play as a ‘cartoonish whodunit.’ And several people think they may have been responsible for his demise.”
Sun City Center resident Kevin Steinke, who plays the role of Sam Marlow in the show, described the production as “a murder-mystery-love story with a twist of dark comedy.
“It’s funny, and it includes two strange love stories,” he said. “The set will be whimsical and dynamic.”
In another scene from “The Trouble with Harry,” Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs stops by the general store to use the phone and visit Mrs. Wiggs.
Other actors include Gio Giltner as Arnie, Chuck Foell as Harry, Ron Banaszak as Capt. Wiles, Cyd Charrow as Ivy Gravely, Barbara Boyle as Jennifer Rogers, Rick Swenson as Dr. Greenbow, Stephanie Casey as the bum, Wendy Smith as Mrs. Wiggs, and Steve Williams as Deputy Calvin Wiggs. Three trees are played James Williams, Shirley Walker and Sue Barnett, who also directs the play.
The sets — all designed and constructed by Chuck Foell and his wife, Cathy — include the woods, a general store, Mrs. Gravely’s and Mrs. Rogers’ front porches and the inside of Mrs. Rogers’ house. Throughout the play, the audience will see them move on and off stage, and then come back again, as the scenes unfold.
“There will be many [set changes] and lots of backstage work,” Steinke said.
The playwright is flying in for all performances of “The Trouble with Harry.” He will be donating his royalty fees back to the Pelican Players Scholarship Fund.
Mrs. Rogers and love interest Sam Marlow meet at a park bench in a scene from “The Trouble with Harry,” to be presented by the Pelican Players July 25-27 at the Veterans Theater.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS
Tickets are $15 for all evening performances and $12 for the matinee; they are available at the Kings Point Box Office weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at the door. For information, call 813-634-9229.
Residents who live outside of Kings Point should drive to the visitors’ gate and inform the guard [that] they’re going to the North Clubhouse.
The Pelican Players is a 501(c)3 community theater group founded in 1980. Proceeds from its stage productions, free Readers Theater, for-hire murder mystery dinner theaters and Cabaret Singers provide scholarships to Hillsborough County students going into the arts. Over its 39 years, the group has awarded more than $600,000 in scholarships.
A bum unexpectedly finds a body in the woods in “The Trouble with Harry.”
Through 2013, the group offered scholarships through its own fund, but then it set up the Pelican Players Scholarship Fund through an endowment with the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. Since then, all scholarships are paid for through interest earned.
The theater group is always looking for actors, stagehands and folks willing to help with set design or costuming. Experience is helpful but not required, and all area residents are invited to participate and join.
For more information on the Pelican Players, visit www.pelicanplayersscc.org or call 813-633-7681.