Four new faces join cast of Murder by the Book which opens May 22

Four new faces have joined the cast in the Kincardine Theatre Guild's production of "Murder by the Book," which opens May 22 at the Kincardine Arts Centre.

Dylan Trahan plays a detective; Deb Tripp plays Pam; Jennifer Neil plays Nathaniel; and Jackie Simoes plays Sasha the maid.

DYLAN TRAHAN

A comedy-sketch actor in Toronto, Trahan, 24, now lives in Tiverton with is mother. He studied acting for two years at Sheridan College in Hamilton, and then lived in British Columbia for six years before moving back home at Christmastime.

Having mostly worked with guys in a comedy show in Toronto, Trahan decided to try out for this play because it's actually a murder-mystery-comedy.

"And I got the part," he says. "This is my first full-length play. It's interesting. There's more dense dialogue and I have a lot of longer speeches - that's new."

It's also interesting working with a cast of women in a comedy-style play, because his comedy troupe is all men.

He says the theatre guild is a great group. "Everyone is so easy to work with. It's nice to come here and rehearse; I'm having a lot of fun."

When he's not working or rehearsing, Trahan enjoys playing the guitar and singing and hopes to do some busking in downtown Kincardine this summer.

DEB TRIPP

Tripp moved to Kincardine from Saskatoon in December and now works at Home Hardware. Originally from Ontario, she did a couple of plays years ago when she lived in Manitouwadge, in northern Ontario.

"I auditioned for this play just to get out into the community," says Tripp. "Then I got the part and it's been wonderful. I'm meeting new people and having a lot of fun."

She used to raise Bernese Mountain dogs, breeding and showing them. Now, she has just one dog, "Lola," with her.

Tripp says she likes playing the part of Pam who is a literary snob. "She's a real bitch and that makes her fun to play."

Because she enjoys singing and playing guitar, Tripp expects she will be comfortable in front of an audience, but she'll still get stage fright on opening night, the same as all the rest of the cast. "But once you get into the character, you're fine. And everyone here is so supportive - it's great."

When she's not working and rehearsing, Tripp enjoys painting and is an aspiring artist.

JENNIFER NEIL

Neil has lived in Kincardine since 2010 and worked backstage with the Kincardine Theatre Guild, but this is her first role on stage. She was assistant stage manager for "Oliver," and she did lighting for "Meet Me in St. Louis."

Originally from London, Neil moved here with her husband who works at Bruce Power. She has a degree in film from the University of Western Ontario, and does a lot of writing. "I'm working on a novel," she says, which fits in perfectly with her portrayal of Nathaniel Hawthorne in this play.

"I've always liked storytelling," she says. "It's how we understand the world. With theatre, we get to go on stage and tell a story."

She loves murder mysteries and has all the works of Agatha Christie, so when she heard about the theatre guild play, she auditioned and was thrilled to get the part of Nathaniel. "She such a pistol," says Neil.

Being on stage is totally different than backstage, she says. "You use different muscles, and you have to remember everything. You can't have anything written down. It's weird not to be in the background."

She says the theatre guild is a great group to work with, allowing people opportunities to work on stage and backstage.

In her spare time, Neil enjoys cross-stitch and travelling. This is her 12th year helping with the London Fringe Theatre Festival which she says is "endlessly entertaining."

JACKIE SIMOES

Simoes, 28, lives between Holyrood and Kinloss and works at the Rogers store in downtown Kincardine.

Originally from Toronto, she always liked watching theatre but thought she was too shy to be on stage. "This year, I wanted to volunteer for more organizations in town," she says. "I like Kincardine and am proud of this town."

Encouraged by her friend, Shari Storms, Simoes auditioned for "Murder by the Book," and got the part of Sasha the maid.

"I'm excited and nervous," she says. "I'm glad I'm in a role that doesn't have too many lines - it's a good way to start out. We all mesh well - it's a great group."

Simoes volunteers with the Kincardine Bulldogs Junior "C" hockey team, and was a volunteer on McHappy Day at McDonald's Restaurant. "I'm meeting wonderful people and I'm excited to be involved."

Joining the newcomers on stage, are seasoned veterans Jaki Mayer-Duggan and Liz Small.
 

"Murder by the Book," written by Mat Kelly, brings together a group of creative and murderously-minded women writers, all with their own secrets; two dramatic police investigators; and a couple of other suspicious characters - resulting in a zany murder mystery comedy!
 

The police are intent on finding the murderer, while the writing group sees this as an opportunity to learn something about police procedures. And why do the police want a rutabaga to solve the murder? There's only one way to find out. Buy a ticket and come to the show!

The play runs May 22-23 (Gala night, $5 extra) at 8 p.m., May 28-30 at 8 p.m., and June 4-5 at 8 p.m., with one matinee at 2 p.m. June 6.
 

Tickets are $18 each, available at J'Adorn in downtown Kincardine or by calling 519-396-9000 (cash, cheque, debit or credit card accepted).

OF SPECIAL NOTE: Playwright Mat Kelly will be joining the Kincardine Theatre Guild for the performance and the Gala, Saturday, May 23. Plan to attend that evening and meet this up-and-coming Canadian playwright who writes mainly for community theatre.