ONLINE: The Case of the Straight Arrow

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courtesy SPCT

John Stanier as Grim Brooder in the Sun Prairie Civic Theatre production "The Case of the Straight Arrow."

You know the mystery will be of the lighthearted variety when the detective's name is Grim Brooder. Sun Prairie Civic Theatre member Sandy Kintner originally planned for The Case of the Straight Arrow to be an interactive dinner production, but has adapted it into a one-act version ready for the virtual world. And, rather than pre-recording the play, SPCT will stream each performance live, for free, on its Facebook page. ALSO: Friday-Saturday (7 pm) and Sunday (2 pm), Jan. 22-24.

press release: From auditions to rehearsals and production meetings, every aspect of Sun Prairie Civic Theatre’s latest production has been conducted online.  The performances won’t be any different. Each show will be performed and streamed live when the virtual curtain goes up on “The Case of the Straight Arrow” on January 21, 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. and January 24 at 2 p.m., at facebook.com/SunPrairieCivicTheatre.

Developed by Sun Prairie Civic Theatre member Sandy Kintner, “The Case of the Straight Arrow” is light-hearted homage to the classic film noir detective stories. Originally planned as a live murder-mystery dinner theater show, Kintner pivoted and adapted it for an online performance when the pandemic made it obvious it would be a while before shows returned to the stage. 

The production team joined in to support the effort. Virtual backdrops were created by the scenic arts team to showcase the location of the character within the scene. Multiple copies of the same prop were identified or purchased to support the illusion of hand-offs between the cast. And, music was composed to help set the mood during scene transitions or key moments. 

Set in Prairie City, “The Case of the Straight Arrow” begins when hardboiled P.I. Grim Brooder gets a call from a dame. It always starts with a call from a dame. There’s trouble brewing down at the Empire Prairie Roadhouse where the cast of Prairie Sleuths, Inc. are rehearsing a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater performance. To Grim’s surprise, the rehearsal soon turns into a snarling match among the cast that ends in murder. Or, is that just part of the play? It’s up to Grim to crack “The Case of the Straight Arrow.” Everyone has plenty of motive, from the snitch Willy the Weasel to Grim’s ex, the alluring femme fatale Breathless. 

Directed by Donald C. Hart, “The Case of the Straight Arrow” is a one-act play expected to run around 60 minutes. All performances are free and will be streamed on Facebook Live. Those interested in watching the four performances may find the events on the Sun Prairie Civic Theatre Facebook Page.

In addition to “The Case of the Straight Arrow,” the theater is also producing on an online cabaret titled “The COVID Cabaret.” Three shows can be watched on-demand on the theater’s YouTube channel. A fourth production, “Season of Love” will premiere on the YouTube channel on Friday, February 12. 

Sun Prairie Civic Theatre is a community of volunteers sharing their time and talent to educate people of all ages in the experience of live theater on stage, backstage and in the audience. Anyone interested in becoming involved can learn more at sunprairiecivictheatre.com.