CAMP HILL, Pa. — January at Oyster Mill Playhouse in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County means one thing... it's time for another Agatha Christie classic.
This production isn't based on a novel, but an original play written by Christie herself.
"It was written directly for the stage by Christie, no previously established story, so if you attend one of our performances you will be seeing the show as Christie originally intended it to be seen, and it's also one of her favorite shows," Matthew Golden, who plays Professor Karl Hendryk, said.
Not as much a whodunnit in "Verdict," but more a melodrama. However, don't fret if you bought a ticket expecting a murder.
"You don't get away with people not seeing a murder coming with Agatha Christie," Sarah Pinter said, who portrays Lisa in the production.
"This is much more focused on relationships between characters than in her other work. That makes it even more interesting," Pinter continued.
The play centers around the professor, who has fled persecution with his wife, Anya. Anya herself has a debilitating disease. Humanizing disability comes with the territory for Pinter, who plays the wife's caretaker in the show.
"Disability comes through in this show, and how people look at it differently," Pinter said.
As with all good Christie, tension carries the play from its origins in the 1950s into 2023.
"When you have a very strong, legitimate difference of opinion with someone you care about, how do you navigate that relationship? How do you continue forward knowing you view something so fundamentally different?" Pinter said.
Opening Night of "Verdict" at Oyster Mill Playhouse is Friday, Jan. 13.
"I'm excited, I'm ready to go, but I am a little nervous because it's Friday the 13th," Golden joked.
Performances run through Jan. 29. For more information, you can visit Oyster Mill's website.
Those who go to see the play will see works created by a local artist on display in the lobby.
"We have artists on display for every show this season," Golden said. "The artist for the run of 'Verdict'... is Craig Copus. He's a local actor and artist who will have his artwork in the lobby for sale and display during the run of the show."
See the full interview with Golden below:
