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Co-editors/Writers.
Cathy Kieiy
Walter Smith
Photographer Bill Hughes
■■
July 26,1985
Plays offer variety in summer entertainment
By CATHY RIELY
Co-editor
f
I F YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SUM-
mer entertainment but you're
tired of movies, try "Ten Little In
dians," a play sponsored by MSC
Dinner Theater and the Aggie Play
ers.
Summer dinner theater at A&M
started 11 years ago when the MSC
suggested the idea to the theater
arts group. Since then, two plays
have been performed each summer,
making "Ten Little Indians" the 22nd
such production.
This Agatha Christie murder mys
tery set in the 1930s is about a group
of eight people invited to a weekend
house party on Indian Island. The
guests and two servants soon dis
cover they are the only ones on the
island, and it isn't long before bad
things start happening.
I can't really tell you much more
without giving away the story, and
like all Agatha Christie stories, half
the fun of this one is trying to solve
the mystery. I will tell you, however,
that the answer lies in the children's
rhyme reprinted here, "Ten Little In
dians." Read the rhyme and see if
you can solve the mystery.
Ten Me Indians boys went out to dine;
One choked his little sell and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himselland then there were eight.
Eight kttle Indian boys traveling in Devon-
One said h'e'dstay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himsell in halves and then there were six.
Sixhttle Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.-
Five little Indian boys going in lor law;
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
One got Irizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy lelt all alone;
He went and hanged himsell and then there were none.
"Ten Little Indians" will play July
31 through August 3. Ticket price in
cludes a buffet dinner (you can have
seconds) by University Food Serv
ices. Call the MS.C Box Office for in
formation.
In addition to performing two din
ner theater plays each summer, the
Aggie Players put on four non-din
ner theater plays during the school
year. Dr. Robert Wenck, a theater
arts professor who is directing "Ten
Little Indians," says the summer pro
ductions differ from plays during the
fall and spring.
"We do more serious plays during
the year and then in the summer we
just kick back and have fun with the
shows," he says. "It's a summer rec
reation program, both for the audi
ence and for the performers."
Wenck says a group gets together
to discuss what plays to perform.
He'll usually come up with a list and
(Clockwise from top left) Some Aggie Players run through a rehearsal for next week’s MSC Dinner Theater presenta
tions of "Ten Little Indians." They are — clockwise tom bottom left — Mike Stevens, Doug Cochrane, Peck Phillips,
Shaun Patrick, Bryan Turner, Tim McEvay and Carole Hargis. Next is a scene from "You Can’t Take It With You, "one of
last season's performances. The bottom picture shows a scene from another one of last year's shows, "Lilliom."
everyone will discuss the various
plays' merits and come up with the
two plays per semester. Then he'll
hold auditions to choose the actors.
'Anyone can work on it (the play),
anyone can try out," he says. And
you don't have to be a theater arts
major. They not only need actors, he
says, but technical people — people
to build sets and props, make cos
tumes, do lighting, "and all that
stuff." They can always use help, he
even had a hard time finding
enough people to work on "Ten Little
Indians" because it called for 11 ac
tors.
T hough he's had problems
finding enough people this
summer session, Wenck
shouldn't have any problems in the
fall. That's when theater arts will be-
1
come the Department of Speech
Communications and Theater Arts.
Theater arts has offered a degree
since 1977, but hasn't been a depart
ment. Only 40 or 50 people have
graduated with a theater arts de
gree so far.
But in the fall, Wenck says he ex
pects 30 or 40 theater arts majors.
see THEATER on page 2.
,