Description

Gateway Players Theatre of Southbridge presents “Death by Chocolate” by Paul Freed. Performances will be held on February 23 and 24 and March 1 and 2 at 7:30pm, and on March 3 at 2pm. All performances will be held at the Fellowship Hall of Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm Street in Southbridge. Parking is available on Elm Street, or in the parking deck behind the Southbridge Town Hall. 

This production will be directed by Mikey Dearn, and produced by Eric Hart. The February 24th performance will be a Dessert Theatre. Tickets are $25 and will include a variety of desserts and beverages served prior to the performance and during intermission. Tickets for the other performances are $18 for adults and $15 for seniors and youth under 18. Tickets may be reserved by calling Gateway at 508-764-4531. Online credit card ticket sales are available at: https://gateway-players.ticketleap.com/deathbychocolate Presented by permission through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals. 

The cast includes: LADY RIVERDALE- Jenifer Stockdale JOHN STONE- Patrick Bracken DYSLEXIA- Bridgette Bachand ALFRED MELLOX- Stephen Jean RALPH DEADWOOD- Greg Glanville MARGARET DANIELS- Tey Gallipeau DICK SIMMERING- Peter Amaral SWEET PEA MEADOWBROOK- Deb Hollett NURSE ANNE- Cassidy Shaw EDITH CHILES- Deb Ostiguy HENRY MEADOWBROOK/ED PARLOR- Matthew Sedlier RESORT HOST/PHONE VOICES- Dawn Sedlier 

Synopsis: Members of the newly renovated Meadowbrook Health Resort are dropping like flies, including famed chef Edith Chiles! On the eve of the grand re-opening, this is not the best advertisement. It’s up to John Stone, the manager, to find the cause and the murderer. Delightfully sarcastic and cynical, Stone finds himself teaming up with Ed Parlor, mystery writer and amateur sleuth, in a wacky race against time. The clues point to a sinister box of chocolates, and the suspects include all the outlandish characters working for the resort. Could it be Lady Riverdale, owner of the resort and a woman with dark secrets? Or Ralph Deadwood, gym instructor and all-around cad? Dick Simmering, the aerobics instructor? Anne, the panic-stricken nurse? Or could it be “Sweet Pea” Meadowbrook, overweight and grieving daughter of the recently deceased founder of the resort? Death by Chocolate combines all the elements of classic murder mysteries with a scathing satire of today’s health crazes.