'A Shot in the Dark' to be Part of MITF July 22-30

A new production of the Broadway comedy A SHOT IN THE DARK, about a sexy French maid accused of murdering her Spanish lover, will be presented at Where Eagles Dare Theatre as part of the ninth annual Midtown International Theatre Festival.  This production of Harry Kurnitz's adaptation of Marcel Achard's L'Idiote stars Charles Borland (Roundabout Theater Company's A Streetcar Named Desire, Twelve Angry Men national tour), Ashlee Fife (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Encores' Follies), Dan Guller, John Kinsella, Monica McCarthy, Lisa Riegel, and Morgan Sills.  Rick Joyce directs.  Dan Boulos is Production Stage Manager.

The production is being presented by Wildcat Theatricals, whose production last year of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? won the festival's award for Best Revival.
 
When a beautiful young parlor maid is found in the presence of her dead lover—naked, unconscious and in possession of the murder weapon—it looks like an open and shut case.  But just as things seem to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, a mounting set of lies, multiple sex partners and infidelities has everyone involved shaking their heads in disbelief.  Under the mounting pressure of the chief prosecutor, a very green magistrate must sort through the deception, the scandal and the uncertainties of a case that is anything but by-the-book.  Full of shocking twists and wild sexual innuendo, A Shot in the Dark is a breezy madcap comedy with a smorgasbord of killer characters and an ending that keeps you guessing until the final unexpected revelation.

A SHOT IN THE DARK was originally produced on Broadway in 1961 with a cast that included Julie Harris, William Shatner, Gene Saks, and Walter Matthau, who won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor.  The play was re-imagined as a Pink Panther vehicle for Peter Sellers, with the Inspector Clouseau character added to the story, in a 1964 film version.  The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) is an annual celebration of new and previously produced works encompassing seven theaters on West 36th and West 37th Streets.  Wildcat Theatricals is dedicated to new productions from the golden age of Broadway playwriting, freshly re-imagined.  Past productions include My Three Angels and last year's award-winning MITF revival of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

A SHOT IN THE DARK will be presented on consecutive Tuesdays and Wednesdays for two weeks only: July 22nd & 23rd and July 29th & 30th.  All performances are at 6:00 PM.  Where Eagles Dare Theatre is located at 347 West 36th Street (between Eighth & Ninth Avenues) on the Ground Floor.  Tickets, which cost $18/$15 for students and seniors, are available by calling TicketCentral.com at (212) 279-4200.  The production is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. A SHOT IN THE DARK is an Equity Approved Showcase.  All the actors and the stage manager appear courtesy of Actors Equity Association.

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