The Little Theatre of Alexandria

What do you find appealing about your character and this show? I play Alan Raleigh, a bulldog of a corporate lawyer who likes to be in control of his situations.  As a social worker by profession, I'm pretty much the antithesis of Alan, particularly with respect to his ethics and attitudes.  It's been an interesting challenge to tap into what makes him tick and find some humanity in the man!  This play is incredibly written and is like being on a 90 minute roller coaster. What do you want the audience to experience/take away from God of Carnage? Humans are unique beings but there's only a fine line separating us as such.  We need to keep reminding ourselves of this uniqueness, especially when witnessing so many unfortunate savage atrocities going on in the world. How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on? This is a true ensemble experience, which means the play is only as powerful as we are as a functioning team.  It's been terrific gr...

What were you trying to accomplish with the telling of this play, God of Carnage? God of Carnage follows in the literary traditions of black comedy and satire. This biting, funny, and very disturbing piece sees two sets of parents, Alan and Annette Raleigh and Michael and Veronica Novak, meet to discuss and work out a resolution when their sons get into a fight.  What happens next is that we find out that the parents are worse than the kids in dealing with each other.  It looks at a classic theme of handling conflict with civility and explores how close we are to absolute, rude barbarism in our social interactions as manners and decency disappear when we aren't getting what we want or we are just plain having a bad day. What were the challenges as a director? There's a psychological darkness for each of the four characters that is partnered with humor and physical comedy.  Working with actors to go to these dark places and twist it with comedy is a big challenge for ...

Tell us a little bit about your character, Annette Raleigh. Annette is the reserved, tightly-wound wife of Alan and mother of eleven year old Benjamin (the assailant in the boys' quarrel).  She comes to the Novak's home to settle the issue between the boys and make peace.  In watching her husband express his indifference for being there and his growing combative attitude, she begins to unravel in very unexpected and physical ways. What are some of the challenges for you in working on God of Carnage? The subject matter is close to the heart (I am a mother of two school-aged children), but very dark, so it often takes me places I am reluctant to feel as a parent.  The premise of the play is also deceptively simple and the challenges of sometimes playing a darker moment filled with oddly comic elements are everywhere in the script. What do yo hope audiences will take away from this play? It's a moment in time.  An evening when four people are not at their best, b...

Meet Chuck Dluhy, playing Michael Novak in LTA's upcoming God of Carnage! Tell us a little bit about your character. Michael Novak is the father of Henry who was injured by another boy during a playground altercation.  He is very "blue collar", down to earth, laid back, somewhat of a bigot and tends to avoid confrontations.  He appears to be a "yes man" to his wife early in the play, but then becomes very vocal and opinionated when threatened.  After receiving several personal attacks on his character and masculinity from the other boy's parents, he's quick to anger and reveals other dark feelings that even his wife may be unaware of. What have you learned about yourself in playing the role of Michael Novak? That as an actor, you sometimes have to draw on those dark aspects of yourself that remain hidden and that you may not want to admit that you have them.  This helps me provide a more authentic character to the audience. What do you find appea...

Meet Pamela Kasenetz playing Madge Geisel in LTA's The Game's Afoot! What do you find appealing about your character and this show? Madge is confident, classy, and grounded.  Her central tenet of "keep on living" despite adversity, makes her fun to play, even in the most dire situations. Two of my favorite movies are "Clue" and "Murder by Death", and Ludwig's farce fits perfectly into that genre. What have you learned about yourself in playing the role of Madge? I can scream a lot and not lose my voice! What do you want the audience to experience with The Game's Afoot? That murder is fun!  Kidding.  This show is actually quite light despite the nefarious undercurrent.  I'm hoping people laugh so hard that they return for a second viewing, just to ensure they didn't miss the witticisms the first time around. How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on? This production's physicality, nuanced timing,...

Meet Michelle Fletcher, playing Inspector Goring in LTA's The Game's Afoot! What do you find appealing about your character and this show? She is a misfit and yet takes her job seriously - a credit to His Majesty's Police Force and Middlesex County Police Department is lucky to have her. What have you learned about yourself in playing this role? I enjoy a challenge! What do you want the audience to experience from this show? The fun and wackiness of a great Ken Ludwig farce and the dedication of the cast and crew in bringing it alive for their entertainment and enjoyment. How does this show differ from other shows you have worked on? It doesn't really. How long have you been acting and what made you get involved with theatre? I was involved in theatre in Brussels for about ten years. I love the whole team process and the talents I get to meet and the opportunity of contributing something to that. What advice would you give to others who want to work in ...

As a director, I always believe it's a good sign that I find myself laughing out loud when I first read a play.  I have directed farces before, and I have played roles in quite a few murder mysteries, however, I've never before dealt with a show that combines both; The Game's Afoot offered me that pleasure.  It's a fun piece of whodunit nonsense, managing to be both a loving embrace of the Agatha Christie formula of murder mystery combined with the farcical escapades for which Ken Ludwig is famous. What do you hope the audience takes away from this show? I hope that The Game's Afoot provokes the same laughs for the audience, along with some serious frights and gasps that it provided to me when I first read the play. How did you get involved with theatre and LTA? I have personally been involved with theatre since I was in first grade when I played a blade of grass in the spring pageant at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Catholic School in Queens, NY.  What is it they s...