The Assassin's New Friend

The Assassin's New Friend
Plays Oct 21 thru Oct 30

It's a thriller, a mystery, and a play that keeps you guessing with multiple plot twists and turns. It's The Assassin's New Friend by John Kaasik, and it opens at the Theatre Guild Friday, October 21 and runs two weekends through October 30.

Think of plays like Sleuth and Deathtrap, and you'll have the style of Kaasik's drama. It's a world where people may not be what they seem, and everyone has secrets. The fun is following the story line until the truth unfolds, which it does with considerable humor and suspense.

The show centers around Brian, a writer of true-crime stories. His wife Dana says she fears the increasing violence portrayed in movies and television is perpetrated by the kind of stories Brian writes. Brian assures her, he's only describing the violence that is already "out there." He appears to be haunted by the disappearance of his first wife.

Enter the mysterious stranger. A man named Kendrick knocks on the door and tells Brian that he can promise an exclusive story about an assassination. Intrigued, Brian lets the man in, only to discover that the assassination has not yet taken place, that the would-be assassin is Kendrick himself, and that the target is Douglas, a criminal lawyer who lives next door with his wife. Kendrick claims that the lawyer deserves a death sentence for successfully defending and freeing the most heinous criminals, including the man who murdered Kendrick's own wife.

Questions abound and moral dilemmas arise. Should Brian call the police? Is Kendrick telling the truth? Why does Dana suddenly show up with a handyman who turns out to be an investigator?

Then the neighbor disappears. Has a murder taken place? Has Brian been duped or framed for the murder himself? What exactly is going on?

Kaasik's play was written in 1997 and has played successfully in regional theatres. Critics wrote:

"The Assassin's New Friend" burst on the scene last weekend to paroxysms of laughter and audience comments of delight. The wit and inventiveness of Kaasik's script built until the Act 2 denouement.

Playwright John Kaasik takes the audience on a roller coaster ride filled with a fast-moving plot that zigs, zags, and curves... If you liked "Deathtrap," you'll love "The Assassin's New Friend."

Since this is a bonus show, performances of The Assassin's New Friend are scheduled for eight times on two weekends, from Friday, October 21, through Sunday, October 30. Call the box office for reservations and ticket information, at 633-4218. You'll find this thriller that keeps you guessing is the perfect entertainment as we approach Halloween.

From the Managing/Artistic Director - Doug Instenes

People have a fascination for cop shows, whodunits and mysteries. We love to be entertained by crime and punishment. That's just what playwright John Kaasik gives us with The Assassin's New Friend.

We follow the action from the point of view of the main character, a crime writer who is conflicted about whether to report a man who says he intends to murder someone, or to keep the story for himself. Characters manipulate each other, and not everyone tells the truth. The fun for the audience is following the facts as they are exposed and trying to guess the ending before it happens.

This entertaining story should fit well in the time slot right around Halloween, when a sense of the mysterious and spooky is prominent. Called a "suspense comedy," The Assassin's New Friend has both thrills and laughs. I hope you will all come and see it.

On a more somber note, last month the RTG lost one of its dearest friends, Hilda Greenquist. We will be paying tribute to her with a memoriam in a future Callboard. As a founding member of the Racine Theatre Guild, and an actor and advocate of theatre and the arts for the 70 years she lived in Racine, Hilda was one of a kind. She tirelessly worked to promote the arts and education in Racine.

When I arrived at the RTG 13 years ago, she immediately made me feel part of the family. Quick with a joke or words of encouragement, Hilda was such a positive influence in my life and the lives of many others.

Hilda surely left this world a little better than she found it. I'm so honored to have known her. She will be missed.

Cast and Crew

The Assassin's New Friend

by John Kaasik

Director.........................Jennifer Kostreva

Cast
Brian ............................ Len Maki
Kendrick ...................... Ken Hinkle
Douglas ........................ Philip Jaeger
Dana ............................ Janine Anderson
Margaret ...................... Connie Rogers
Hal ............................... Tim Rogers

Crew
Prod. Stage Mgr. .......... Karen Reisenauer
Scenic Design ............... Stephen Krempasky
Scenic Painter ............... Jo Rodrick
Technical Director ......... Kurt Oian
Stage Manager .............. Emily Breiwick
ASM ............................. JoAnn Rogers
Props ............................. Russ Stetler
Costumes ….............….. Melissa Warner, Viv Stetler
Sound Design ................. Joan Roehre
Sound Tech. .................. Brad Kostreva
Makeup ......................... Sue Blaha
Light Tech. .................... Melissa Fleischman
Light Design .................. Dana Strauss, Mike Kurhajec