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As a single show, Washington County Theatre (WCT) will present three one-act plays that represent important segments of the American cultural past. “Trifles,” “Sorry, Wrong Number,” and “The Hitch-Hiker” are all mysterious tales guaranteed to hold your attention. WCT’s production of the three plays will be on June 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. and on June 9 at 2:30 p.m. at Gary W. Hartsook Hall in Salem.
Directing for the first time are three young women who each appeared in at least 30 Pied Piper Productions plays in Salem, starting when they were small children. Amelia Hendricks is directing “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell. First produced on the radio in 1916 and inspired by a true story, the play is about a woman accused of murdering her husband. Investigators (played by Daniel Main, Cameron Geary, and Graham Edwards) come to her home to try to solve the case. Meanwhile, two local women (played by McKenna Hedrick and Abigail Ferguson) are also present and find clues at the house, as well: “trifles” that are being overlooked by the official investigators but that lead the two women to a horrifying conclusion about what really happened.
Hendricks said she hopes the community will come out to see “Trifles” and the other plays that are part of the show so that theatre can continue to thrive in Washington County. Hendricks said, “It’s important to support directors who are just starting out so that they can have the confidence to continue and better themselves. We can then carry on the legacy that we’ve built here. The more support we get, the more we can keep it growing and moving forward.”
The second and third one-act plays that will be presented as part of program are “Sorry, Wrong Number” and “The Hitch-Hiker,” both by Lucille Fletcher, who adapted the stage plays from radio scripts that were first produced in 1941 as part of “Orson Welles’s Mercury Radio Theatre.”
“Sorry, Wrong Number” is about Mrs. Stevenson (played by Rebecca McKinley), a sickly, bedridden woman whose link with the outside world is her telephone. When lines are crossed, and she overhears others’ conversations, she becomes convinced that she’s about to be murdered. Hannah Ingram said directing “Sorry, Wrong Number” has allowed her to gain a new perspective on being involved in theatre. “I enjoy getting to see the people act instead of being on stage with them. I’m enjoying going through this process and seeing maybe what people who have directed me in the past have seen. I’m kind of hoping it helps me when I get back on stage,” she explained.
Miranda Smith said directing “The Hitch-Hiker” instead of acting in the show has taken some getting used to. “It’s weird to direct the person who taught me everything about theater, that’s for sure. It’s interesting and a lot of fun. We’re one big family – they all make it easier,” she said.
“The Hitch-Hiker” is a ghost story about a motorist (played by Daniel Main) who sees a hitchhiker (Rebecca McKinley) mysteriously appearing again and again as he drives from New York to California. The hitchhiker appears to be trying to tell the driver something. Both “Sorry, Wrong Number” and “The Hitch-Hiker” were made into teleplays and featured on the show “The Twilight Zone” in the 1950s.
Also appearing in the plays are Mary Anne Knapp, Casey Miller, Mariah Thacker, Gabriel Porter, and Elle Strother.
The three plays will be presented together, with a brief intermission between each play. Concessions will be offered. Gary W. Hartsook Hall is located at 405 N. Shelby Street in Salem, behind the Church of the Nazarene. Available at the door, tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Doors open a half-hour before the show. For more information, call 812-620-3701.