River City Players try to figure out whodunit in 'Sleuth'

The River City Players will bring a little mystery to downtown Cape Girardeau with its next production.

The theater troupe will present "Sleuth" four times Thursday through July 12 at Port Cape Girardeau, 19 S. Water St.

Written by Anthony Schaffer, the play is directed by Paul King, a longtime member of the River City Players who has appeared in many of the company's plays -- he had the title role in last fall's production of "Dracula" -- and previously has served as set designer.

This is King's first time as director, and Larry Davis is serving as assistant director.

Movie buffs may remember "Sleuth," which originally was made in 1972 and starred Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier. It was remade in 2007, when Caine again starred in the film, this time opposite Jude Law.

Holly Raines runs through a scene with Tana Howard during a rehearsal Wednesday for "Sleuth." (Glenn Landberg)

The original screenplay was written around two central characters, an older man and a younger one, who go head-to-head over the older man's wife. Ultimately, it's a fight to the death.

The River City troupe has tweaked the script a bit.

"We've updated it. We thought it would be interesting to have women as the main characters," King said. "Instead of fighting over the gold-digger wife, they're fighting over the trophy husband."

The role of the older woman is played by Tana Howard, and Holly Raines is cast as the younger woman. King characterized the two as some of the company's best players -- each has performed in and directed other productions.

"Both actresses and my assistant director are the three people I would have chosen for this if I had a million people to choose from," King said.

A scene from a rehearsal for "Sleuth," the River City Players' next production, opening Thursday at Port Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

"It's a very interesting play because it's a whodunit, but there are only two characters in the play," he said.

"You never know who is going to do what in this play. One person has the upper hand one moment, and the other person has the upper hand the next," King said.

The play garnered the interest of Roseanna Whitlow-Greenwood, an instructor at Southeast Missouri State University, and president of the board of directors of River City Players. She suggested it to King.

King was happy with the script and chose "Sleuth" as his first play to direct because he is a fan of British mysteries.

"I love Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, stuff like that, and it's very much an homage to the old British mysteries and is still fresh," he said.

The two-act play runs about 90 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission between the first and second acts.

The Thursday performance is at 7 p.m. and is preceded by a dessert buffet at 6:30 p.m. The July 10 and 11 performances begin at 8 p.m. and are preceded by a dinner buffet. The July 12 matinee begins at 2 p.m., with a dessert buffet at 1:30 p.m.

Dinner show tickets are $35; dessert show tickets are $20. Ticket reservations may be made by contacting Port Cape Girardeau at 334-0954.

Pertinent address:

19 S. Water St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.