News Release

Ohio Wesleyan Department of Theatre & Dance to Present ‘Night Watch’
Classic Murder Mystery Promises Thrills, Chills for Audience Members

September 16, 2009

Ohio Wesleyan University’s Department of Theatre & Dance will present the mystery thriller “Night Watch” in five performances beginning Oct. 2. Starring in the Lucille Fletcher play are, from left, Joanna Van Sickle ’10 as Helga the maid, Katelyn Schroeder ’11 as Blanche, Laurel Elliott ’11 as Elaine Wheeler, Andrew Houlihan ’11 as John Wheeler, and Joe Lugosch ’13 as Curtis Appleby.

Photo by Kate Alexander ’10

Click here for a high resolution version. (1700k JPG)

“Night Watch” will be performed at 8 p.m. Oct. 2, 3, 9 and 10, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 11 on the Main Stage of Chappelear Drama Center, 45 Rowland Ave., Delaware, located on the Ohio Wesleyan campus.

Set in New York City in the early 1970s, “Night Watch” tells the story of a murder about to happen … but who will it be … and where? This classic murder mystery promises to tingle spines with suspense as the clues unravel.

The cast and crew include more than 40 Ohio Wesleyan students. The play is directed by theatre professor Elane Denny-Todd, M.F.A. The scenic design is by theatre professor D. Glen Vanderbilt Jr., M.F.A., with lighting design by Chad Knutson, M.F.A., costume design by Jacqueline Shelley, M.F.A., and stage management by Ohio Wesleyan student Rachel Spetrino, a junior from Medina, Ohio.

Lead actors include Laurel Elliott, a junior from Phoenix, Ariz., as Elaine Wheeler; Andrew Houlihan, a junior from New York, N.Y., as Elaine’s husband, John Wheeler; and Katelyn Schroeder, a junior from Hong Kong, as Blanche.

In addition to finding success on Broadway, “Night Watch” was made into a motion picture of the same name starring Elizabeth Taylor and Laurence Harvey. Fletcher, the playwright, also is known for writing “The Hitchhiker,” which was turned into a radio drama by Orson Welles, and for the screenplay for “Sorry, Wrong Number.”

To reserve tickets for Ohio Wesleyan’s production of “Night Watch,” call the Theatre Box Office at (740) 368-3855 from 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $5 for Ohio Wesleyan employees, non-OWU students, and senior citizens. Admission is free for Ohio Wesleyan students with a valid ID.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 45 states and 39 countries. Visit www.owu.edu for more information.