Playing October 3 - 19

Synopsis

The Art of Murder explores the depths of ambition, betrayal, and the human psyche. Truth and illusion blur, every brushstroke hides a secret and revenge is the final masterpiece.

What happens when art and manipulation become one and the same? Acclaimed artist Jack Brooks has invited his art dealer, Vincent, to his secluded home for what seems to be a business discussion. With his cunning wife, Annie, and Kate, the housekeeper, drawn into the mix, the night unfolds as a thrilling exploration of trust, morality, and the choices that shape our fate.

Packed with razor-sharp dialogue, dark humor, and shocking revelations, in The Art of Murder, the mask of civility and artistic integrity is shattered by ambition and revenge.

Note From Director Melissa Mei Jones

“The show has complex, layered characters with rich inner lives, and we're entering those lives in a high-stakes, life-or-death decision-making moment filled with dramatic tension... but it's all packaged under the guise of a lighthearted, screwball, almost farce-adjacent comedy. It's a comedy, it's a farce, it's a thriller, and maybe the amalgamation of those three things makes it more than the sum of its parts. There's an intriguing wolf-in-sheep's-clothing aspect to the script, and I'm really looking forward to mining the extremes of its genre defiance. The play is hard to pin down, which is both its charm and challenge. And I'm always intrigued by a challenge.

[Audiences can expect] [f]ast-paced, snappy dialogue; belly laughs; situations that can take a hairpin turn on a dime and keep you guessing; actors really living in their immediacy; complicated characters; and a certain satisfying sense of female rage and (twisted) justice.

I hope it sparks discussion or debate between attendees, and I hope they ask themselves and each other questions like: 

• Which, if any, of the actions were justified? 

• Who was the ‘bad guy’ in the story and why? 

• How relatable were the characters as they navigated their personal turning points? 

• How far would YOU go to get what you need (whether that's freedom, fame, or personal agency)?

• What separates "good" art from "bad" art? 

• What IS art, even?”

Cast

Jen Cuevas......................... Annie
Zach Vaughn-Munck......... Jack
David Mister....................... Vincent
Adriana Hokk..................... Kate*
Aaishah Kelani................... Kate*
Myles Rowland…………… U/S: Jack & Vincent
Sara K. Dean……………… U/S: Annie
*Role is double cast.
Ms. Kelani will be performing on: 10/2, 10/4, 10/11, 10/12, 10/17 & 10/19. 
Ms. Hokk will be performing on: 10/3, 10/5, 10/9, 10/10 & 10/18.

Production Team

Director: Melissa Mei Jones
Assistant Director: Myles Rowland
Stage & Production Manager: Kelly Weber Barraza
Lighting Designer: Chris Beer
Sound Designer: Tina Vo
Costume Designer: Lisa Rozman
Set Design: Louis Stone-Collonge
Intimacy & Fight Coordinator: Bessie Zolno

Runtime

TBD.

Reviews & Press

Edgar® Award WINNER for Best Mystery Play (2000)
“...a funhouse roller-coaster ride.” - Press Journal
“...[a] scintillating hit with thrills and chills and some wonderful humor.” - Suburban News
“...hilarious, suspenseful, surprising and dazzling in every way.” - Equinox News