AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED DURING EACH OF THE SUNDAY MATINEE PERFORMANCES. Call the box office at 508-362-6333 to reserve your headset or ask an usher for one the during the Sunday performances.
A Brief History of The Barnstable Comedy Club
Celebrating Our 103rd Season
One of the Oldest Community Theaters in America
In 1899, Barnstable Village residents proposed a venue for community events and in August of 1912, the completion of the Barnstable Village Hall was celebrated with a gala opening and public dedication attended by many notables, including local author Joseph Lincoln and US Ambassador to France, Robert Bacon. The owners of the new building, the Barnstable Woman’s Club, followed through with their intention that it be used by the community and over the years it was the location for elections, Boy and Girl Scout activities, concerts, dances, suppers, card parties, basketball games and lectures. It was also used as a recreation center for the village children before a new elementary school was built. In addition to these community activities, plays were presented by a theater group who were meeting nearby at the Old Barnstable Inn.
In 1922 the theater group presented Lady Windemere’s Fan, with the name Barnstable Comedy Club printed on the tickets for the first time. Reserved seats for this inaugural production were 75 cents, including the newly required federal war tax.
In 1961, the Barnstable Comedy Club theater group purchased the Village Hall from the Barnstable Woman’s Club. To honor the original owner’s request, the building continues to be known as the Village Hall and remains a village institution.
After the purchase of the hall, the theater group incorporated and in 1975 was granted the status of a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
During the past one hundred years, the BCC has mounted 284 productions including: Our Town, Caine Mutiny, Death of a Salesman, The King and I, Carousel, The Lion in Winter, Private Lives, Grease, Calendar Girls, Mister Roberts and Anything Goes. The theater is known for its dedication to classic theater, with entertaining, diverse and humorous offerings chosen each year for the annual season of fall, winter and spring performances.
Open auditions are held for each play and draw from a wide community of people from many backgrounds – from talented youngsters to retired people with skills in many fields to people who just share a love for the theater. In addition to community participation, the theater was home to renowned author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and to the leading American authority on ethnic dance, Russell Meriwether Hughes, known as La Meri, the “undisputed queen of ethnic dance”.
The BCC continues to hold to our tradition of high standards, to produce plays that are varied in theme, thoroughly rehearsed, and artistically staged. BCC also continues our tradition of being an all-volunteer organization.
JEFFREY HATCHER
A prolific playwright, Hatcher has gained a reputation for his ability to craft and adapt clever and witty thrillers and mysteries including Holmes and Watson , The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Scotland Road, a mystery centered on a myth surrounding the Titanic. In 2012, the Mystery Writers of America nominated Hatcher for an Edgar Award, honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television. Forty-seven years after Wait Until Dark premiered on Broadway, Jeffrey Hatcher adapted Frederick Knott's 1966 original. Critics have praised his work in this genre as well: "It's no surprise Hatcher is the real deal" (Star Tribune).
Throughout his career, Hatcher's other plays have been produced on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in regional theaters and abroad. They include Three Viewings, Neddy, Korczak's Children, A Picasso, Mercy of a Storm, and Lucky Duck. His stage adaptations include Leocadia: To Fool the Eye, Smash (based on George Bernard Shaw's novel An Unsocial Socialist), Murder by Poe, Pierre (based on the novel by Herman Melville) and The Fabulous Invalid (based on Kaufman and Hart's story).
He has also written the screenplay for Casanova for director Lasse Hallstrom, as well as the screenplays Secretary and Boys Don't Cry directed by Kim Pierce. He has written for the Peter Falk TV series Columbo and E! Entertainment Television. Jeffrey has won grants and awards from the NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Barrymore Award and others. He is a multiple-time participant at the O'Neil Playwrights Conference and is a member of the Dramatists Guild, New Dramatists, The Playwrights' Center, and the Writers Guild of America.
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
the original by Frederick Knott Directed by James F. Ring
CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
MARGOT WENDICE……………………………………..Cassandra West
MAXINE HADLEY………………………………………...Flannery Rogers
TONY WENDICE……………………………………………….Rob Minshall
LESGATE……...………………………………………………...John Hanright
INSPECTOR HUBBARD……………………………………..Larry Lickteig
VOICEOVERS
BBC Arts Reporter……………………….Miranda Daniloff Mancusi
BBC News Correspondent…………………………………..Erika Slater
SETTING
The living room of the Wendice flat in London, 1952 ~ ACT ONE ~
Scene One A Friday evening in September.
Scene Two Saturday evening.
Scene Three Later that night. There will be one 15-minute intermission ~ ACT TWO ~
Scene One—The next morning..
Scene Two A few months later.
NOTE: There will be smoking onstage. The cigarettes are not real. They are props.
Dial M For Murder is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.ConcordTheatricals.com
Director………..……………………………………...James F. Ring
Assistant Director……………………………………….Erika Slater
Producer …………………………………………AMR Productions
Stage Manager……………………………………….Cissy George
Set Designer………….…………………………..Lisa Zinck Taylor
Set Construction / Painting…………Lloyd George, Eric George, Lisa and Joe Taylor, Romanie Abraham and Cissy George
Costumers……………..…........Ann M. Ring and Vicki Marchant
Sound Design./ Op.................................................Lloyd George
Lighting Design…………………Eric George and Lloyd George
Lighting Ops…………….Eric George. Miranda Danilof Mancusi, Jennifer Pittsley and Wayne Pittsley
Props………………………………………………….Cissy George
Playbill Cover………………………………………..James F. Ring
Publicity / Outdoor Poster / Playbill...…...….….…...Ann M. Ring
Box Office…………………………………..Linda Stevens & Crew
Hospitality……………..………………….Linda Paltrineri & Crew
SPECIAL THANKS
Facilitator of Audio Descriptions for the Visually Impaired ~ Erika Slater ~ Eric George
Cape Cod Center for Dental Implants
Everyone who worked on this show as we are ALL volunteers
THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING RECORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET,IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)’S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists
CAST
JOHN HANRIGHT (Lesgate) is very excited to be in the BCC’s production of Dial M for Murder. In addition to acting, John is a playwright, an ESL teacher, and a published author. His play, The Finishing Touch, premiered in 2023 at the Academy of Performing Arts (APA). Recent acting credits include An Inspector Calls (BCC), The Final Say (O’Neill Festival of New Works, Provincetown), Robin Hood (world premiere: APA), and Dracula (world premiere: Chatham Drama Guild). John wishes to thank his family and friends for all their support
LARRY LICKTEIG (Inspector Hubbard) Larry is back at the Barnstable Comedy Club, and delighted to be here. He was Arthur Birling in An Inspector Calls (2023), Arthur Kirk in Nuts (2024), and now he’s Chief Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder. Recently, he was Sorn in Stupid Fu*king Bird (black box) and Rev. Tooker in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (main stage) at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. He also took a turn at Shakespeare this last summer, playing the Prince of Verona in Romeo and Juliet and Alonso in The Tempest at the Cape Cod Shakespeare Festival in Chatham. Larry feels that working with the crew here is so much fun it’s like coming home to a warm embrace and a cold beer.
ROB MINSHALL (Tony Wendice) is no stranger to local community theatre. In 2002 he first took the stage in a production of Evita at the Falmouth Theatre Guild. Since then, he has performed from Buzzards Bay to P’Town, enjoying great roles at many Cape community theatre stages. His favorite roles include Richard Hannay in The 39 Steps, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, Captain Hook in Peter Pan, Dr. Frankenfurter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Emile in South Pacific. Rob is happy to be back on the BCC stage having played Inspector Goole in
An Inspector Calls, and most recently, Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. When he is not working as a self-employed painting contractor and handyman, he enjoys spending his time raising and playing with his son Remy, who was born during his first show at BCC, a few hours before curtain for Guys and Dolls in 2011, directed by his magnificent wife Corinne.
FLANNERY DURIVAGE
ROGERS (Maxine Hadley) is thrilled to discover a love for the theatre, following a long break after the sixth grade production of Don Coyote at the Morse Pond Middle School. She may have played a sheep. Flannery first joined the cast of Van Life, an original play by Rick Martin performed last winter at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. She’s grateful for a second go at the stage, which came about after meeting Dial M’s director at the Barnstable Court Complex, where she spends her days doing improv in front of a pretty tough audience. Flannery wishes to thank her talented fellow cast members, who are a delight to work with and joy to learn from.
CASSANDRA WEST (Margo Wendice) Cassandra is an actor, playwright and producing director. She studied at The National Theatre Institute (2011) and The Atlantic Acting School (2013). She has served as Artistic Director for Curio City Theatre in NY, and Associate Producer for The Rockwell Theatre in Somerville. In 2016, she earned a Nord Playwriting Fellowship from the Cleveland Public Theatre for her play, Mira La Mer. Recent credits include Hero in Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. In 2024 Cassandra founded Infinite Rotary Productions, the producing company for T: An MBTA Musical. She's having a blast being onstage at the Barnstable Comedy Club and thanks the team for welcoming her.
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
JAMES F. RING (Director) has been involved in community theater productions since the nineteen-sixties, when he spent summers working at the Harwich Junior Theatre and performed throughout Cape Cod as one of the Harwich Junior Players under the direction of Anthony Inslee Hancock, III. His work in front of and behind the curtain has expanded in recent years due to his having successfully disentangled himself from a longtime career as a trial lawyer in Boston. He most recently directed John Pielmeier’s Agnes Of God at the Sandwich Arts Alliance (in 2024) and, at the Barnstable Comedy Club, J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls (in 2023) and Hugh Whitmore’s Pack Of Lies (in 2022). Jim is a full-time resident of Barnstable Village and is deeply honored to have been able to work with the dedicated and highly talented cast and crew of Dial M For Murder.
CISSY GEORGE (Stage Manager) Aside from dancing in Framingham North Highschool’s productions of No, No Nanette and Funny Girl, Cissy is fairly new to theater. Now retired and living in West Barnstable year-round, she’s taking the time to learn all about the BCC. She was the Stage Manager for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Nunsense, Ripcord and Nuts, as well as assistant Stage Manager for The 39 Steps, An Inspector Calls and Into the Breeches. In addition to painting sets and assisting with props in various shows and working spotlight for Rock Of Ages, Cissy had a small acting role for one weekend as the maid in An Inspector Calls. She’s excited to be helping with the set and stage managing Dial M For Murder.
ERIKA SLATER (Assistant Director , Facilitator of the Visual Descriptions for the Visually Impaired & Voiceover) Telling stories is just what she does. A master storyteller, weaving narratives of transformation. In her hypnosis practice, she empowers clients to rewrite their destructive scripts, silencing the siren call of sugar or cigarettes or cocaine and instead igniting their inner "TikTok influencer for good." Yet, her deepest passion lies in bringing the printed word alive & illuminating worlds unseen. For over a decade volunteering with Audio Journal, the radio reading service in central MA, she lent her voice to the blind and print impaired bringing news, books, and dramatic performances
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES CONT.
to life. Now, she embarks on a new chapter: live audio description. With Dial M For Murder, Erika becomes the audience's unseen guide, weaving a tapestry of descriptive language that illuminates the drama beyond the dialogue, enriching the experience for those who cannot see, providing whispered narratives that paint the scene in the listener's mind.
LIZA ZINCK TAYLOR (Set Design) Lisa’s day job is as an Assistant at the Ezra Baker Innovation School. She has been the Music Director for Dennis-Yarmouth High School and Cape Cod Kids on Broadway for many years. In her spare time Lisa has been involved with BCC for over twenty-five years. She began her journey on stage (her passion). Once everyone found out she could play the piano, that was the end of that! She has been the Music Director and accompanist for many shows over the years. Most recently she has been involved in set design and construction (who knew!!). Lisa would like to thank her mentor, Dennis Marchant for teaching her everything she knows about her new passion!
ERIC GEORGE (Lighting Design & Op) Eric is following in the footsteps of his father, Harold George, and brother, Lloyd George, volunteering time at the Barnstable Comedy Club. He has been behind the scenes helping with the sets for most of the plays over the past 2 years. He can often be found in the lighting booth programming the lighting queues and working the lights for these same shows.
MIRANDA DANILOFF MANCUSI (Voiceover for the BCC Arts Reporter) has been both a voice-over narrator and a radio journalist. She narrated the award-winning documentary “Hispanic Mosaic” for PBS in Chicago. As a journalist, she was an anchor for Monitor Radio in Boston and a producer for WGN Radio in Chicago. Miranda performed as Barbara Jackson in Pack Of Lies, Sybil Birling in An Inspector Calls at the BCC, and Dr. Martha Livingstone in Agnes of God at the Sandwich Arts Alliance. She has a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Northwestern University. Miranda and her husband live in Barnstable Village. She is thrilled to work again with director Jim Ring, assistant director Erika Slater, and this super-talented cast and crew.
May 1- May 18
One room. Six writers. Infinite comedy. A memorable look into TV land of the past.
WE NEED YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER!
The Barnstable Comedy Club was founded in 1922 as a volunteer community theater. Our Mission is to provide an opportunity for our community to participate in dramatic production, educational seminars, training workshops in the theater arts and crafts, and the production of plays.
The Village Hall, which is the home to the Barnstable Comedy Club, is a registered historical building. The maintenance of the building and all our equipment is supported mainly through our ticket sales.
If you would like to make a monetary contribution, please fill out the form below or if you prefer to use a credit card, go online to our site, BarnstableComedyClub.org and place your donation securely using PayPal.
103rd SEASON ~ 2024-2025
BARNSTABLE COMEDY CLUB
2025 BOARD
OFFICERS
President Lloyd George
Vice President Linda M. Stevens
Secretary Geralyn Moquin
Treasurer Jane Wilbur
House Manager Vicki Marchant
Business Manager Ann M. Ring
Resident Producer Cissy George
DIRECTORS
Sonia Schonning Rachael Kenneally
Miranda Daniloff Mancusi
Linda Paltrineri
Annemarie Lang Lisa Zinck Taylor
Jennifer Pittsley Steve Ross
PATRON BENEFACTORS
Kris and Lenny Clark
Linda Doll and Neil Tanger
Mr. and Mrs. Ward Dunning
Cissy and Eric George
Linda and Lloyd George
Jennifer Koze
Jon and Eliza Lewis
Carol Noyes
Robert and Louise Sanborn
Nancy Wilbur
PATRONS
Martha Jason
Geralyn Moquin
Jane Wilbur
TAYLOR JOHNSTON
The 2024 Peter Eustace Scholarship in the Creative Arts was awarded to Taylor Johnston, a recent graduate of Sandwich High School. He was admitted to the performing arts program at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Taylor plans to double major: theatre with an acting concentration and sports media.
Many thanks to our scholarship chairperson, Sue Lindholm
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Dennis Marchant, a stalwart member of the BCC! Dennis was a mentor to many and dedicated over 35 years to the Club. He had designed and built over 130 sets at the Club as well as carrying out those same tasks with other Cape Cod theater companies. He also served on the Board of Directors for several years as House Manager who took extreme measures to ensure safety to all those working in the building and the caretaking of the historical building itself.
If anybody looks back on the last 35 years, Dennis would have to be considered one of the most dedicated volunteers who helped to assure the Barnstable Comedy Club’s continuous production of live community theater.
This plaque can be seen on the new handicap access ramp which is dedicated to the memory of Dennis.
