About the Play:
Winner of the highly-coveted Edgar Award (the 'Oscar' of Crime) from the Mystery Writers of America
The Game's Afoot is a full-length comedy by
Ken Ludwig. The play is inspired by the life of Broadway star
William Gillette, known world-wide for his portrayal of Sherlock
Holmes. He is entertaining his fellow cast members for the holidays,
when murder strikes. Gillette dons his deerstalker and tries to
emulate the great sleuth and solve a murder. Mysterious doings with
the body, secret compartments; the danger and hilarity are non-stop
in this comic whodunit!
The Game's Afoot is a murderously funny
thriller filled
with double-crosses, triple-crosses, gunplay, lies, deceit, disguise,
and sex. What do you expect? They're actors. As iconic American actor
William Gillette takes his bows after playing Sherlock Holmes at the
Palace Theatre, a shot rings out, wounding him in the arm. While
recuperating at home, Gillette invites his co-stars to his famous Castle in Connecticut for a Christmas Eve celebration. But when
Scathing critic Daria is
stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks
and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. Everyone
is suspected of her murder. It is then up to Gillette himself,
as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the
killer before the next victim appears. A
secret room, moving body, and ghastly humour will keep audiences
laughing and trying to figure out whodunit until the final bow.
The Game's Afoot premiered in 2011 at
Cleveland Play House in Cleveland, Ohio and won the 2012 Mystery
Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Play. Since
then the play had regional premieres at professional theatres across
the US and has been mounted by high schools, colleges, and community
theatres.
Cast: 5 female, 3 male
What people say:
"An inspired
whodunit … a snappy, clever drawing-room mystery. There are twists
in playwright Ken Ludwig's The Game's
Afoot that cause the audience to gasp." — The
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"The play
evolves like a mystery thriller, as one tantalizing clue leads to
another … In 1936, at the height of the Great Depression, people
flocked to the theater for a few hours of escapism from hard times.
Today, in our current recession, here is an antidote and the ideal
holiday present – the gift of laughter." — Cleveland
Jewish News
"Ludwig
demonstrates the theatrical equivalent of perfect pitch, both in this
new work and in his past efforts." — Cleveland Scene
"From the
intriguing opening mini play within a play to the surprise last scene
a split second before final curtain, The Game's Afoot
gives you everything you love about great live theatre. Billed as a
comedy thriller you will find yourself swept along for a wild and
funny ride." — Cleveland Examiner
"The Game's
Afoot will be performed by professional and community
theaters across the country. Certainly this production is Broadway
quality." — TalkinBroadway.com
About the Playwright:
Ken Ludwig is an internationally acclaimed
American playwright whose work is performed throughout the world in
more than thirty countries in over twenty languages. He has written
twenty-five plays and musicals, with six Broadway productions and
seven in London's West End. He has also won two Laurence Olivier
Awards and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.