Agatha Christie Expert To Speak Following Performance of A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED July 26

Peninsula Players Theatre, in conjunction with its production of Agatha Christie's "A Murder is Announced" by Leslie Darbon, will host Christie scholar Dr. Christopher Chan Friday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m. in the theater. Chan will speak about "The Queen of Crime," Agatha Christie, and the creation of her character Miss Jane Marple. Tickets to performances are available; admission to the pre-show seminar is free.

Chan, a Lawrence University graduate and Agatha Christie website editor, will speak about one of the most endearing fictional female detectives. Christie based Miss Marple on her aunt and she doesn't look like your average detective. "Miss Marple is a white-haired old lady with a gentle, appealing manner - Miss Weatherby is a mixture of vinegar and gush. Of the two, Miss Marple is more dangerous," Christie wrote in "The Murder at the Vicarage."

Alongside Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple is one of Agatha Christie's two most famous creations. Appearing in 12 full-length novels and 20 short stories (plus an earlier, recently-rediscovered, slightly different version of one story), Miss Marple is the most famous resident of the fictional village of St. Mary Mead.

Chan lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and earned his Ph.D. in U.S. history from Marquette University. He also earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from UW-Milwaukee.

He teaches online graduate history classes and works as an International Goodwill Ambassador for the official Agatha Christie website, www.agathachristie.com. He also writes for the magazine Gilbert at chesterton.org, which specializes in book and television reviews, in addition to writing historical and critical essays on Agatha Christie's work.

"A Murder is Announced" performs through July 28 and is sponsored by A Friend of Peninsula Players and Dale & Margaret West.

Peninsula Players Theatre is committed to providing educational programming for the community. The Players has a long history of educational initiatives, including an intern program that dates back to the founding days of the theater in the 1930s. The theater offers backstage tours and post-show discussions as listed in the program and website. Contact the Box Office at 920-868-3287 for more information on free seminars, tours or to purchase tickets.