The long await production of And Then There Were None is finally opening at the Mid Ohio Valley Players this Friday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the Players Theatre on the corner of Third and Putnam Streets in Marietta. Set to open almost a year ago, the actors and crew were ready to go and then the Governor ordered the lockdown the flatten the curve of the virus. MOVP, like so many in the community, had to find other ways to connect with patrons and work to keep the community theatre alive. Through the generosity of Marietta College, MOVP was able to use Zoom to entertain the valley with social distance theatre. Unfortunately, Agatha Christie’s estate does not allow any of her plays to be presented via streaming so the theatre was required to wait until they could once again be on stage and open the doors to the public.

In early September, Gov. DeWine loosened restrictions on performance theatres and made it possible to once again open the doors with strict guidelines for assuring safety. Due to schedule conflicts for cast and crew members, it was decided not to try to open And Then There Were None until mid-January.

“Not only did the cast and crew need time to rehearse and prepare, but we needed time to make sure everything was in place for a safe experience for our patrons,” said MOVP President JR Wells. “We have sanitation protocols in place and our Box Office Committee has worked very hard to assure that we have everything ready to protect our patrons. We are limited to 15% of normal capacity in order to provide 6 feet distance between patrons.”

Theatre goers should expect to have their temperatures scanned upon arrival and they must keep their masks on while in the theater. The MOVP Board moved up curtain to 7:00 p.m. in order to make sure that patrons, cast, and crew can get back home before the 10:00 p.m. curfew that is still in effect.

The production promises an evening of suspense and the joy of once again seeing live theatre. Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal. One by one, each guest’s darkest secrets are revealed…until there were none. For each has been marked for murder. As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, the bloodbath begins and one by one they are brutally murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme.

First called Ten Little Indians, And Then There Were None started out as a book. Christie took two years to dramatize it. She considered it her best piece of stage “craftsmanship” and the one that formally started her career as a playwright. Most producers did not think it could be produced because of its difficulty. The play opened at the St. James Theatre in London on 17 November 1943.

MOVP’s production promises to keep you on the edge of the seat. Director Mack McHale characterizes the play as one of Christie’s darkest tales and a masterpiece of dramatic construction. He says, “Its growing sense of dread and unfaltering tension will keep you guessing to the very end. Assistant Director Vanessa Rake remarked, “This is a great cast. We have a couple new people who are doing an amazing job alongside some of our long-time actors. I think fans of Agatha Christie’s novel will be very pleased.”

And Then There Were None runs January 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30 at 7 p.m. and January 24 at 3:00 p.m.  Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors/students, and $7 for youth under 17. Tickets are limited and can be purchased in advance on the MOVP website. If you purchased a ticket for the canceled March 2020 show, your ticket will be honored; Please email president@midohiovalleyplayers.org to for your preferred showing. Plan to get your tickets beforehand as seating is extremely limited.
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