AGATHA CHRISTIE'S THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD: Westport Country Playhouse to Host Christie Symposium
Authors Elise Hart Kipness and Chris Knopf join moderator Kelle Ruden for the free post-show discussion.
Westport Country Playhouse will present a Sunday Symposium, free-of-charge and open to the public, following the July 19, 3 p.m. performance of Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The Symposium is titled, 'Christie at 100...Still Going Strong,' a discussion about Agatha Christie and why her mysteries have endured, continuing to sell approximately four million copies each year. Guest speakers will be bestselling author and co-founder of the Connecticut Chapter of Sisters in Crime Elise Hart Kipness, and award-winning mystery writer and CrimeConn festival founder Chris Knopf, along with moderator Kelle Ruden, who led The Usual Suspects, a long-running mystery and thriller book discussion group at The Westport Library.
Elise Hart Kipness is a USA Today bestselling author and former national TV reporter. Her acclaimed Kate Green thriller series was optioned by Universal Television and Mary J. Blige's Blue Butterfly Productions. Kipness's work has earned worldwide recognition as a Men's Journal top-ten pick for Best Book, a Woman's Day Must-Read selection, and a Scripps News beach read pick, as well as being featured by CBS Mornings Plus, People magazine, CBS New York's Club Calvi, and Newsday. In her past life, Kipness covered major news stories for New York's WNBC-TV, News 12 Long Island, and the Associated Press, and reported on marquee sports events for FOX Sports. A graduate of Brown University, she teaches at Westport Writers' Workshop while also serving as a board member of Friends of the Key West Library and cofounder of the Connecticut chapter of Sisters in Crime.
Chris Knopf has published 18 mystery/thriller novels. Blood Bank was released in December 2024, about which Kirkus wrote: 'Fans of the series will enjoy its usual low-key pleasures, capped by a nifty climactic surprise.' Two Time was one of 13 mysteries listed in Marilyn Stasio's 'Recommended Summer Reading' column in The New York Times Book Review. Head Wounds was cited as a best mystery of the year by Mysterious Reviews and Deadly Pleasures, receiving the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Mystery. Dead Anyway received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal, also a Boston Globe Best Crime Novel, and winning the Nero Award. Representative short stories: What Made Sammy Run was published last fall in New England's Best Mystery Short Stories. Kill Switch was short-listed for the Derringer Award. The Best Is Yet to Come appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. A Little Cariñoso appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Crossing Harry was included in Akashic's New Haven Noir.
Moderator Kelle Ruden's career in the book business has included bookstores, publishing, and libraries. She served as the manager and editor of the Discover Great New Writers program at Barnes & Noble, as a marketing director at Random House, and as the program director at the Westport Library, from 2013 to 2016, where she planned and executed over 400 cultural and educational programs each year. Ruden has been leading book discussions for over 25 years, including 17 years spent with the Library's mystery group, The Usual Suspects. She has been a Westport resident since 2000 and served two terms as a member of the Westport Arts Advisory Committee, appointed by Westport's First Selectman.
The conversation will be followed by an interactive dialogue with the audience.
Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows legendary detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the killing of a wealthy man, uncovering hidden motives and long-buried secrets among a cast of intriguing suspects. The novel has been hailed as 'the greatest whodunit ever written' and cemented Christie's reputation as the 'Queen of Crime.' Dame Agatha's iconic mystery unfolds on stage with all the elegance, cleverness, and suspense that have made it a timeless favorite.
Adapted for the stage and directed by Mark Shanahan, Playhouse artistic director, from the novel by Agatha Christie, in association with Agatha Christie Ltd, the murder mystery runs from July 14 through August 1.
For full details on Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/murder-of-roger-ackroyd/
A complete schedule of Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.
For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), Instagram (wcplayhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport.
|
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM CURTAIN CALL'S SHAKESPEARE ON THE GREEN (7/09-7/19) |
|
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory Kweskin Theatre (8/06-8/15) |
|
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Madison Lyric Stage (7/17-7/26) |
|
DRACULA, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really Brookfield Theatre (9/18-10/10) |
|
World Soccer Championship Watch Party Coming to Mohegan Sun's Sun Patio Mohegan Sun (7/19-7/19) |
|
Golden Girls The Laughs Continue Ridgefield Playhouse (11/27-11/27) |
|
Twelve Angry Jurors The Little Theatre of Manchester (7/30-8/16) |
|
Broadway's Adrianna Hicks Legacy Theatre (8/30-8/30) |
|
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour with Barry Bostwick Palace Theatre (10/16-10/16) |
|
Multi-Platinum Rock Legends Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms Announce Return To The Road For Co-Headlining Summer Tour With Special Guest Spin Doctors Mohegan Sun (7/31-7/31) |