Family feuds can be dramatic, dysfunctional or - in the case of Rivertown Theatre Productions' newest show - deadly.
"The Deadly Affair" will be performed on Friday, July 23, at 6 and 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 24, at 4, 6 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, July 25, at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Performances will be held at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 616 Locust St., Columbia.
The church makes the perfect setting for the play, said Sara Mimnall, who, along with Rebecca Wright, wrote the show. "Edward Keller has just died tragically, and his immediate family has come together for his funeral," she explained. "There is definitely some inner family fighting going on."
After the drama comes to a boiling point, the characters storm off in a rage before returning to settle down and continue the funeral. They soon discover not all have returned - and one person won't be coming back.
"The show is a mix of comedy and drama," noted Mimnall, who plays Anne Keller in the show. "There are moments of laughs, but there are also times when you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next."
In addition to Mimnall, the cast of "The Deadly Affair" is Emily Barnhart as Clara Adams, Rick Barnhart as Edward Keller, Chris Raudabaugh as William Keller, Jayden Smith as James Keller, Nick Kaehler as Charles Dansen and Sylvia Garner as Martha Keller.
"We are a very close cast, and we play well together on stage," Mimnall stated. "We have all been acting together before as friends or family members."
Wright said when she and Mimnall started writing "The Deadly Affair," they planned to create a historical play, similar to their other production this year, "Murder at the Miller Mansion." As they began writing, however, they changed their focus.
"We said, 'Let's try something modern,'" Wright recalled, noting that the previous show was held at the historic Miller mansion, 131 Locust St., Columbia. "We had wanted to partner with the church for a long time and try a different venue, so we thought, 'Let's see what we can write that can take place in a church.'"
Wright and Mimnall founded Rivertown Theatre Productions in 2019. In addition to murder mysteries, the organization will partner with the Columbia Historical Society and the Columbia Economic Development Committee to host the Columbia Historical Walking Tour on Saturday, Aug. 21. Additionally, the production company operates Columbia's Haunted Lantern Tour, which will run in October.
"We're a nonprofit organization, so any money we make from shows and events, we put it toward future productions or into renovation of the Miller mansion," Wright said.
For more information on "The Deadly Affair" or on Rivertown Theatre Productions, visit https://columbiartp.com.
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