Nick Noir is a 1940s-esque private detective, but his secretary Selma continually uses her Blackberry to help Nick uncover the truth about his current case.
This comedic mystery,
Death by Chocolate
is the latest production by Athens community theater group The ABC Players. The show will run Thursday through Sunday at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville.
The play follows Nick Noir as he takes on a case of a man who died while drinking Death by Chocolate, the signature drink of Precious Perks Coffee Shoppe, which is owned by Coco Purvis. Nick must solve this case in order to rehire his beloved secretary Selma whom he had to fire after he botched his last case.
The show’s director, Cecilia Rinaldi, said she pitched
Death by Chocolate
back in the spring because of how much she enjoyed the story. This is the first time Rinaldi has directed a show.
“It’s not
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
or one of Neil Simon’s great comedies, but it’s fun,” she said. “It’s something the whole family can come and see for an enjoyable evening.”
Joe Balding, who plays Nick Noir and is one of the founders of The ABC Players, said he appreciates how the play allows the actor to take more liberties on stage.
“It’s fun to have the freedom to go big because many times, you have to keep it very real,” he said. “This allows the actor to really relax and make discoveries and take risks to see where it goes.”
The very nature of the play is something Carol Ault, who plays Coco, said she enjoyed the most.
“It is just a delightful spoof on film noir detective movies. I just laughed out loud,” she said. “It’s like watching Mel Brooks spoof
Star Wars
or Frankenstein. You have someone just take all of the clichés of a movie style and put them into something else. … Spoofs just take things to absurd ends.”
Part of the farcical nature of
Death by Chocolate
also relies on the mixed time references in the story, such as how it seems to be set in the 1940s but Selma uses a cell phone.
Balding said The ABC Players tries to do a variety of play styles and this production is reflective of that notion.
“It’s not a traditional straight comedy or drama,” he said. “It pokes fun at itself. It’s fun to do this kind of thing every once in a while.”
IYGB:
What: The ABC Players present
Death by Chocolate
by Craig Sodaro
When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville
Admission: $10 in advance, $12 at door, $7 for students
