Interview: Andrea Stephenson of THE MUSICAL COMEDY MURDERS OF 1940 at Gettysburg Community Theater

John Bishop's play The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 premiered at the Circle Repertory Company in New York in 1987 before opening on Broadway later that year. This ensemble play is the perfect lead-in to the Halloween season, featuring mistaken identities, secret passageways, murder, and lots of laughs. You can catch The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 at Gettysburg Community Theatre in person October 8-17 and virtually on demand October 22-24. Andrea Stephenson, who plays the character of Bernice, took a few moments to share her experience with the show:

BWW: Tell us a little about yourself.

Stephenson: I grew up in York, and I have always loved theatre. I spent a few years in New Jersey and California for school. I have a PhD in Philosophy of Religion, but after working for several years in the non-profit world, I decided to return to my roots, and I now work as an optician-work that I did off and on for my optometrist dad for years. My parents were always involved in theatre and music, and they nurtured my love of the stage. My mom was my first music teacher and my dad was my first theatre director. Since moving back to York in 2010, I have had the opportunity to stage manage, direct, and perform in shows at The Belmont Theatre, Hanover Little Theatre, Theatre Harrisburg, DreamWrights Center for Community Arts, and Gettysburg Community Theatre.

BWW: I understand that The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is not a musical. Can you explain the title for us?

Stephenson: Sure! Without giving away anything too important, the show takes place in 1940 (the costumes and hairstyles are fantastic!). The majority of the characters featured in the show are theatre folk-actors, comedian, producer, composer, director, lyricist, and financial backer. They gather at the home of Elsa Von Grossenknueten for what they believe is a backer's audition-a preview of a new show that they will perform for the wealthy Elsa to encourage her to back their show financially. The creative team that is gathered for this new show are well known for musical comedies. The murder part of the title you'll just have to see the show to figure out.

BWW: Tell us about your character.

Stephenson: I play Bernice Roth. She is the lyricist for the musical comedies. Bernice is a tremendously fun character to play, particularly because she is nothing like me in real life-she is rather high-strung and emotional and has a tendency to over-drink and faint. But when she gets into her creative groove she doesn't let anything get in her way-not even murder.

BWW: What have you enjoyed the most about doing this show?

Stephenson: I really have loved working on the character of Bernice, but what I have enjoyed the most is working with the rest of the cast, Shane Miller (our director), and the crew. I am constantly in awe of the talent that I'm surrounded by on the stage. It really is an ensemble show, so we all have to pull our weight and work together to make the magic happen, and it has been a joy right from the beginning.

BWW: Why should readers come see The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940?

Stephenson: There are so many reasons to come see this show, but I think one of the biggest ones is that we could all use a good laugh these days. This show is very much a murder mystery comedy. The way I've been describing it to people is that it's a combination of Noises Off, Clue, and And Then There Were None. The script is genuinely funny, and the director's interpretation along with the comedic timing of the actors really brings it to life.

BWW: How can our readers get tickets for this show?

Stephenson: The show will actually be available to see in person as well as virtually. The in-person performances are October 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 7pm and October 10 and 17 at 2pm at Gettysburg Community Theatre (masks are required, regardless of vaccination status). It will also be available to view virtually from the safety and comfort of your own home October 22-24, and, since it's on demand, folks can watch it at their convenience on any of those three days. Tickets for the in person and the virtual shows can be found at https://www.gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org/2021-season.html

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