Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles
When many people think of British period pieces, the PBS series Downton Abbey may be the first thing to come to mind. However, if you really want to step back into the world of early 20th century Great Britain, with murder, mystery, and dialects alike, then look no further than Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre starting this weekend.
“The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, Christie’s first novel, tells the tale of Hercule Poirot, Inspector Japp, and Arthur Hastings. Poirot is a Great War refugee, and he’s starting his life over in England with the help of Emily Inglethorp. However, Inglethorp is murdered, after the arrival of Hastings, and it’s up to Poirot to put his detective skills to the test to solve her murder.
The Theatre Centre’s production, which is based on an adaptation by playwright David Hansen, has been streamlined into a shorter version. The production is directed by Steve Ray, Chair of Theatre at UTC. Ray has collaborated with the Theatre Centre on several different occasions; however, this is his second directorial debut.
“Most people think of Agatha Christie and think of being there for four hours. This doesn’t even have an intermission, so we’re going to do it all without an intermission, and it will be boom-boom-boom,” Ray explained. “But you’re going to get all the things that you want out of Agatha Christie. You’re going to get all the clues that eventually add up to things.”
Although the Theatre Centre’s performance will be considerably shorter than the novel itself, it still has many of the same elements, like the surprise twist ending Ray is especially looking forward to. In addition to the surprise ending, another vital aspect of the performance is the way in which Hastings learns about detective work.
“One of the fun parts of the play is watching Poirot kind of bring [Hastings] along and nurture him as a detective, encouraging him to put his ideas out there,” said Ray. “That’s Hastings’ journey, getting to learn what to look for, what clues are important, what people are really saying when they say what they say, and that’s one thing that Poirot is so good at. He’s meticulous, and he’s observant, and he teaches Hastings that through the course of the play.”
In terms of practice, the cast has been extremely dedicated to their roles. The performance features Evans Jarnefeldt, who teaches at Chattanooga State and has a lot of experience with both dialects and regional theater, as Hastings.
Patrick Brady, who portrays Poirot, and Courtenay Cholovich, who will be playing the role of Mrs. Mary Cavendish, have spent many years working in New York theater, but they are back in the Chattanooga area to help with regional theater.
“We have several other people who have worked in local theaters, and we have some people who have done a lot of work for the Theatre Centre,” explained Ray. “But we have other people who have not worked at the Theatre Centre before, so we’re trying to expand the circles.”
The show itself will be performed at the Circle Theatre, starting Friday and running through Feb. 11. Ray said the Circle Theatre has been a bit of a challenge because it’s a smaller stage, but he thinks that it will provide a much-needed sense of intimacy, making it easier for attendees to grasp the important plot clues.
“In a novel, you can go back and reread the things you weren’t sure about, but on the stage, you have to get it the first time. So if you have too many characters, too many plot twists, [the audience] gets frustrated and tunes out,” Ray said. “I think this playwright has done a great job of cutting what he could while still keeping all the elements we want from an Agatha Christie novel.”
While this may only be Ray’s second directorial debut with the Theatre Centre, he is really looking forward to this performance, and he’s happy to be working with the Theatre Centre again.
Ray is very passionate about regional theater, and he’s excited to work on expanding the circles of theater in the Chattanooga area.
“As a director, I always go to the plays I direct to watch the audience, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the audience experience this and see where their minds go as far as what clues they think are important,” explained Ray. “Part of the joy as an audience member is at the end; when you’re surprised by the ending, it also has to feel inevitable.”
“The Mysterious Affair at Styles” opens Friday at 8 p.m., and will be include both evening and matinee shows through Feb. 11. Tickets start at $11. If you want to experience a truly authentic British period piece with both a great director and a great cast, then look no further than Agatha Christie’s first novel.
Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m.
Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
Chattanooga Theatre Centre
400 River St.
(423) 267-8534
www.theatrecentre.com