Gettysburg Stage to Present EGAD, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, 5/30-31

Gettysburg Stage will present "Egad, The Woman in White" a hilarious melodrama written by Tim Kelly, and based Wilkie Collins' sensational novel, "The Woman in White."

This laugh oriented, old fashioned melodrama is wild, fast and funny. It features a disreputable (and hilarious) villain who dispatches his adversaries with nefarious ease and even seals his wife in a madhouse to steal her vast fortune! He battles a wicked countess in one of the most uproarious fight scenes ever staged! When all else fails, he engineers mock funerals. But he's scared of the mysterious "woman in white" who has escaped from the asylum to seek him out. Abandoned wives, insolent servants, lawyers and hypochondriacs parade across the stage in gales of comedy terminating in an outrageous and spectacular finale.

"A melodrama offers each actor the opportunity to play an over-the-top stereotype for full comedic effect," says director Jeff Leinbach. "The actor's timing must be perfect to hit the vast array of punchlines that a comedic melodrama offers. Fortunately, I have a cast that is willing to go well into the absurd to find the perfect voice for each type of character. There will be no confusion about who are the villain and vilainess, the heroine and the hero, the dimwit, the hypochondriac or the morally conflicted characters. It was a real challenge to assemble a larger cast, but the play offers the freedom for each member to experiment and push outside of traditional theater. The audience is encouraged to laugh out loud, boo, hiss and cheer as the story unfolds."

Appearing on stage are Chris Bratton, Brian French, Phyllis French, David, Hurlbert, Pam Hurlbert, Rachel Reed, Joan Reeve, Karen Saltzgiver, Hilary Snesrud and Paul Witt. Sue Nespeca-McCleaf and Dana Witt also appear in the performance.

Performances of "Egad, The Woman in White" will be staged at the GAR Building at 53 E Middle St, Gettysburg at 8pm on May 30 and 31. To request reservations, or for group bookings, please email info@gettysburgstage.org or phone (717) 638-8799. General admission is $15, and $12 for seniors, students and military personnel.

Gettysburg Stage is a volunteer-based, non-profit theatre company that seeks to offer innovative theatrical experiences for regional audiences, actors and directors.

Please visit our website at www.gettysburgstage.org.