A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Fatal Combination

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  6w, 6m

Peter DePietro

Adapted from Paging Death by Peter DePietro and Tony Hamill

"[The audience], at times, hurled suspicious accusations at one another with the vigor and purpose of discus throwers at a championship meet... A dramatic resolution." - Boston Globe

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 6m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
A flamboyant, aging and loveable Greek art dealer, a reticent and revengeful librarian, a not so shallow bleached blond actress, and a literary scholar all descend upon a posh Boston hotel to retrieve a rare Byzantine treasure secured in the hotel vault where it awaits an upcoming museum exhibition. Each wants the treasure enough to kill for it. George and Margaret Manning, a sharp eyed husband and wife detective team akin to Charlie Chan and Number One Son, work hand in hand to solve this deliciously sinister plot of international intrigue. Margaret gets in the way of the calculating killer and becomes the fourth and final victim. This is a thriller to the end.
History
A FATAL COMBINATION was first performed at the Parket House Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts on January 24, 1986. Directed by Peter DePietro.
Cast Attributes
DETECTIVE GEORGE MANNING - assertive FBI agent, grandfather turned investigator after a career as a law enforcement office, organized and articulate, conservatively dressed, 55
MARGARET MANNING - wife of George, housewife turned detective, loves action, always butting in, sometimes a nuisance but extrememly lovable, 50
DIMITRI - Flamboyant Green art dealer, has an accent, flaming unnatural red hair, oblivious to the effects of his often biting tongue, outwardly warm, 32-40
BUNNIE BERINGER - ostensibly shallow and dumb blonde, genuinely sensitive and caring, hard-edged Brooklyn accent, ex-playboy bunny, an actress, 28-35
LILY PARKER DOOMSBURY - psychiatric patient trying to increase her social skills, charminly pleasant yet eccentric, has a fabricated past, obsessed with death and dying, dresses bizarrely, a gossip, 50-55
SEAN O'REILLY - mischevious, short-tempered waiter, smooth-talking thief, new to the job, 25
STEPHANIE REDDING - self-confident assistant hotel manager, dresses with a conservative Boston flair, overly stern with employees, impatient with guests, slight drinking problem, 35-40 years
ELAINE PETERS - blonde suburban middle-class housewife, here for a good time, 45
AL PETERS - husband of Elaine, soft-spoken, 47
JANET STAFFORD - meek librarian outside, revengeful ex-con inside, appears calm and quiet, slightly mysterious in her reticence but not a wall flower, 35-40
TOM BOGWATER - serious, quiet scholar, uneasy with socializing, bespectacled, 30-35 years
HOST - anonymous liaison between reality and villainous fantasy
WAITRESS
POLICE OFFICER
2 AMBULANCE ATTENDANTS
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Audience Participation/Interactive
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

"[The audience], at times, hurled suspicious accusations at one another with the vigor and purpose of discus throwers at a championship meet. . . . A dramatic resolution." - Boston Globe

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

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Authors

Author

Peter DePietro

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