Greg Dohler/The Gazette Jerry Gietka (left), as Harry Kent, attacks Jsames McDaniel, as Paul Riggs, over a blackmail scheme in "Murder by Misadventure," which willl be staged by the Bowie Playhouse beginning Jan. 13.

More News

Renovations needed at Colmar Manor’s new town hall

School board chairwoman Jacobs plans to focus next term on incentives to motivate, keep effective teachers

Frederick city, county close to airport hangar deal

English only, say Frederick County commissioners

Judge backs HMSHost, blocks highway plaza contract award to competitor

Most authors would agree that the hardest part of writing is composing a first line.

But partners in penmanship Harold Kent and Paul Riggs might argue that a story’s ending is where the real thrills lie. The duo at the center of Bowie Community Theatre’s latest mystery, “Murder by Misadventure,” have sunk to such depths of loathing that the premeditated prospect of finishing each other off is all they have left.

John Degnan directs the dark British comedy. A community theater mainstay for more than 30 years, he has directed for troupes from the Pasadena Theatre Company to 2nd Star and, most recently, Prince George’s Little Theatre.

“Murder by Misadventure” is Degnan’s fourth involvement with BCT, says the thespian, but only his second turn in the director’s chair. He last helmed “You Know I Can’t Hear You, the Water Is Running” back in 2003, and says the company’s board of directors approached him with this latest “murderous” proposal.

“Most of the shows I’ve directed have been musicals and comedies,” says Degnan. “So this is a little bit outside of my comfort zone.”

Again, it was the show’s surprise ending that ultimately sealed the deal.

“It was very intriguing,” he says of playwright Edward Taylor’s twists and turns. “If you look at the script, there are four characters one of whom is the inspector. If you consider that one of the others has to be the murderer, the audience has a 50/50 chance of knowing who’s guilty before the curtain goes up.”

But in this particular “Misadventure,” he says, absolutely nothing is as it originally seems. After all, this murder mystery mixes up the aforementioned acidic writers, a palatial estate built upon an ancient British sacrificial stone, black magic and brutal bookies.

And only four characters.

“It’s probably the smallest cast I’ve ever directed,” says Degnan. “Which puts more of a burden on the cast because they have more to memorize.”

Enter part-time actor Jerry Gietka, a self-professed “elderly gentleman,” and eight-year retiree.

Gietka, who has held various jobs in government, as well as instructing at the University of Maryland, has long fostered a passion for community theater. At one time, his goal was to perform in at least one show with every community theater company between Baltimore and Virginia.

“I last counted 180 different groups. I gave up a little while ago,” he laughs. “I got halfway there.”

Gietka directed the Bowie Community Theatre production, “Proposals,” a couple years back, but then moved closer to Hunt Valley and farther away from his area theater ties.

Still, when friend and colleague Degnan called about “Murder by Misadventure,” the offer was one he could not refuse.

“My first question was, ‘What’s the role?’ When he told me it was the lead, I said, ‘Sure. OK,’” he laughs. “We all have egos.”

Such pride, perhaps, accentuates Gietka’s portrayal of Harold Kent, the far more successful, and scheming, half of the tale’s writing team.

“He’s the senior, more experienced writer,” explains Gietka of the relationship. “They’ve been working together for some time, and Harold is sort of the plodding, by the books, ‘Deadline is approaching, we’ve got to get this finished’ type of guy, whereas [Riggs] is like the idea man. He throws out ideas, and my character makes it work. And my character has grown tired of that.”

When the money-hungry Riggs attempts to blackmail Kent, the door is thrown open wide for wicked ploys.

“He decides the only solution would be to use [Riggs’ own story] idea to kill him,” says Gietka.

Unlike a number of British farces Gietka has taken part in, “Misadventure” does not pause to allow its audience to soak up its delicious English phrasing.

“The audience will really have to pay attention,” Gietka says. “It’s what’s the best word? A ‘windy’ play. There is an awful lot of dialogue.”

“It’s meant to be fast-paced,” he continues. “You don’t want the audience to hear every line. The important parts are repeated over and over again.”

That being said, Gietka professes that learning his lines this time around has been somewhat of a chore.

“There are 106 pages of dialogue, and I’m in all but five of them,” he says.

The rehearsal process has been brief, he adds, noting that the holidays and work requirements have kept the cast from truly forming any sort of cohesive chemistry as of yet.

That, too, however, may work in the production’s favor.

“In murder mysteries, during intermission, you usually give the audience a chance to cast their chips in regards to who they think is the murderer,” Gietka says. “And in this show, I’m not sure that’s a fair question. The ending is so bizarre and different, I’m not sure you can even say there is a murderer, or who did it. ... You are led to believe something throughout the entire show, and all of that changes on page 103.”

noravec@gazette.net

‘Murder by Misadventure’

When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Jan. 28 and 2 p.m. Jan. 15 and 22

Where: Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie

Tickets: $17 for adults, $12 for seniors and students

For information: 301-805-0219

www.bctheatre.com