Next River City Players production presents new genre, fresh cast

For many years, Paul King has had a knack for vocal impersonations.

"I like to mess around with voices, and it's always been something I do," he said. "When I watch a movie or something and I hear someone with an interesting accent I like to imitate it."

It was just a fun hobby, but King's skillful imitations landed him a leading role in the River City Player's latest production, "Panic." He will appear as Alain Duplay, a French film critic, in the murder mystery debuting today at Port Cape's River City Yacht Club.

"Maybe they thought I was the only one who could play that role without going too Pepe Le Pew," he said with a heavy French accent and a laugh.

Though his vocal impersonations made him ideal for the role, the biggest challenge King sees is actually speaking French.

"The accent itself was an easy part," King said. "There is a substantial amount of actual French that I have to do in a phone conversation, so I've had to go through and translate. I can make a whole lot of French noises, but I don't know if I'm making any sense."

"Panic" is a murder mystery set in the 1960s. Throughout the play, King is heard interviewing Henry Lockwood (played by Brian Day), a famous American film director, who's in Paris with his wife Emma (played by Christina Cody) and secretary Miriam Stockton (Holly Raines). But the trip turns south when Lockwood is accused of attacking a woman named Liliane Bernard (played by Sara Corbin).

Director Holly Raines said when she was slated to direct the fall production, she wanted to shake things up a bit and "Panic" was a great production to do so.

"Our regular patrons are used to us producing comedies," she said. "This is a murder mystery, and it's very dialogue driven. It's almost like an old Hitchcock movie. It seems like in each scene, you are constantly asking yourself who did it. Then just a few minutes later you will have a completely different theory."

In addition to the new genre, theatergoers can expect a fresh cast. Raines said of the five-member cast, King, Day and Cody are all new to the theater.

"It helps to have people who are experienced, but it's good to fit new people into the group," she said. "When they are new they are like sponges and soak it all up."

While Raines is directing the production, she also plays a lead role as Lockwood's secretary.

"It's difficult at times because you are on stage with the rest of the cast and you are trying to remember your lines but also making sure everyone else is where they're supposed to be," she said. "It's a lot more work to direct and be in it. But I've got a great assistant director, so that helps."

King said Raines and co-director Joe Reed, vice president of the River City Players, have put together a quality production the audience will enjoy.

"They have gone to great lengths to find period furniture and set props. We have been looking for weeks to find period, 1960ish clothing," King said. "I think visually it's really going to be amazing."

Dinner performances are Friday and Saturday and continue Sept. 10 and 11 at Port Cape's River City Yacht Club. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., dinner is served at 7 and the show starts at 8. A show-only performance is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday. Tickets cost $30 for dinner shows and $12 for show only. To make a reservation, call Port Cape at 334-0954.