Let's Not Forget Murder

A couple of days ago, when I mentioned theatre onstage Halloween weekend, I seem to have overlooked the only production that actually seems to have a performance on October 31^st. A late October featuring zombie puppets, a group of freaks and a 19^th century Midwestern serial killer also features a murder/mystery comedy. In Tandem Theatre presents Joe DipPietro'’s Art of Murder. The comedy, which debuted some ten years ago, was a solid attempt to fuse the traditional murder/mystery with a critical glance at contemporary gallery culture.

Steven Koehler stars as a very distasteful guy—--an artist thinking about killing his art dealer. (Probably not an uncommon situation.) He has a wife (also an artist.) He has a maid. There’'s a gun. There'’s talk of murder. A UWM Theatre graduate from the P.T.T.P. era, Koehler is joined by a promising cast including Tiffany Vance, Elizabeth Shipe and T. Stacy Hicks. Hicks, a Shakespearian actor who put in a remarkable performance in Yonugblood’'s production of the contemporary drama Spirits To Enforce last season, plays a “high-powered, flamboyant art dealer.” (Should be a fun performance.) Local theatre veteran Vance plays the wife of Koehler's character. Shipe plays an Irish maid.  

The evening of Sunday, October 31st, In Tandem will be staging a special 7pm performance of the show (in addition to the usual 2pm Sunday Matinee) with drink specials at the bar. Kudos to In Tandem for having a show on a Sunday night Halloween . . . 

In Tandem Theatre’s production of The Art of Murder runs October 22^nd through November 2^nd at the Tenth Street Theatre on 628 North Tenth Street. Call 414-271-1371 for tickets or visit in Tandem Online.