Frantic search for missing diamonds

Richland has never been plagued with a baffling murder, a mysterious house and an assortment of frenzied folks all desperate to find the same thing  – some missing diamonds.

But, on Oct. 12, that will all change when the Drama Department presents "Exit the Body," a comic farce written by Fred

Carmichael.

The plot focuses on mystery writer Crane Hammond, who thinks she's going to enjoy a four-week vacation at a country house in Vermont where she can find peace and quiet to work. Joining her is her secretary, New Yorker Kate Bixley.

That would have been ideal if Crane hadn't discovered that the previous tenant was connected to  organized crime and was supposedly murdered.  Stolen diamonds were hidden somewhere in the house. Nobody has been able to find them. So, the other residents of the house launch a frantic search.

Director Mac Lower, adjunct drama professor, said a closet plays a big role in this play.

"The great thing about the closet is that it opens into two rooms, the living room and the back door [which] opens into the library. Of course, you have all kinds of slamming of doors and people almost getting caught. One person gets injured in the dark," Lower said.

The closet becomes a great plot device where characters can hide, but they can also escape without being seen, Lower added.

"I think farces are always fun," Lower said. "The challenge of farce is the timing and blocking.  So much of it depends on the action, not just the lines.

That adds

an element of fun to it for actors." Ten Richland students make up the cast of "Exit" – five women and five men. Lower has them working on dialects for the play represents New England, New York and Boston.

"That's been a challenge for us in rehearsals," he said. "I continually am pushing the actors to go ahead and experiment with them [the accents]."  Lower encourages them and tells them it's going to take some time to accomplish a good

accent.

Lower said he likes the use of the closet and all the doors on the stage.

"We have five doors. Of course, that

creates a lot of options for characters and comedy moments," Lower said. "So, that's the part I like about it – watching all these characters sneak in and out of these doors. Other characters don't see them."

Lower said "Exit" was written in the 1960s and he has tried to update it.

"The biggest dated element is the phone operator. We don't have those really today," Lower said. "We have set the show in a gated community so when the characters go to a phone, rather than talk to an operator, they are talking to a gate attendant.  There is no cell phone reception. The characters try to use their cell phones and can't get a signal."

The three-act play begins at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 12-15 in the Fannin Performance Hall, Room F-102. It's recommended for middle school age and older and will last two hours with two

intermissions.

"Exit the Body" is free and open to the public, so no reservations are required. For further information, call 972-238-6256.