It all started on a cold and dark Friday night last December.
I was home alone, and tired of reading, quilting, and watching TV on Friday nights, I grabbed my coat and headed to Granby Congregational Church’s South Campus where Good Company Theater was hosting an open mic night. I entered alone, and seeing no available seats at the occupied tables, I shed my coat and settled at the only empty table, right in front of the stage, to enjoy the talents that the evening had in store. Lucky me, I thought. I get a front-row seat!
Well, Granby being Granby, I was not alone for long. Within minutes, I was invited to pull up a chair and join the group behind me. Just like that, I met four more people in my new hometown.
During intermission, I met Cheryl King, who welcomed me warmly on behalf of Good Company Theater’s board. I guess being a newcomer in a small town, I stood out. I told Cheryl that I write for The Granby Drummer, and I asked if it would be okay to take a few photos of the local talent in action. She said of course. We exchanged phone numbers.
When the lively event ended, I approached a man who appeared to be in charge to tell him how much I enjoyed the evening. That’s how I met Bryan Moreau, Good Company Theater’s board president. We, too, exchanged phone numbers. Bryan encouraged me to audition for the upcoming production of Murder by Indecision, and I said I’d think about it. Hmm, I thought on the short drive home, Granby people are definitely friendly.
A month later, Bryan texted me a reminder to come audition on either January 8 or 9 at 6:30 p.m. I planned to be brave and go audition, but on Sunday, Jan. 7, Mother Nature dumped close to two feet of snow on Granby. Monday and Tuesday were frigid and icy, so I stayed safe at home, foregoing the auditions. I couldn’t risk falling at night on black ice.
I also learned that Granby people are persistent. Later that week, I was shopping at Ocean State Job Lot in Southwick when my phone rang. I recognized a Massachusetts area code but not the number, and I did something quite out of character — I answered the call. It was Meaghan Farrell, who said she is directing Murder by Indecision and would like to offer me a small part. I told her that I have no stage experience, but she insisted. “I am the director. It’s only 11 lines, and I will help you. People told me that you’d be great for this role.”
People? What people? Ahhhh…Cheryl King and Bryan Moreau, of course. Well, I thought, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I agreed.
Quite honestly, I am delighted that I decided to give play acting a shot. I have had a winter filled with laughter, three nights a week, when we gather at South Congregational Church to rehearse. The play is a riot. The cast members are fun, interesting people with a shared interest in theater. We are all amateurs, doing something we enjoy.
Now when I say this play is hilarious, I mean it. Meaghan Farrell has directed this show before. She knows it cold. She is also partial to cherry Coke, and for a few rehearsals, she arrived with a big bottle of it in hand.
That stopped when poor Meaghan spontaneously laughed so hard at what was happening on stage that she choked on her favorite beverage. “It went up my nose, you guys,” she wailed, still laughing uncontrollably. Since that night, the bottle of cherry Coke sits in Meaghan’s car during rehearsal. She can’t risk another choking episode.
Murder by Indecision is a comedy, a murder mystery, and a play within a play. It is also a serious attempt to put on display the secret inner lives of the characters that Agatha Crispy creates at her typewriter.
And one more thing. We have been rehearsing three nights a week since early February, and we still make Meaghan—and ourselves—crack up during rehearsals. Let’s hope we have that under control by mid-April. Our audience will depend on it.
When this show is behind us, I will need to find another source of uproarious humor. It releases tension. It erases frown lines. It’s good for the soul.
Come see our show and get yourself a generous dose!