Season One Finale of Mysterious Journey
New episode of AET’s podcast is out! Two self-described "gen-u-wine desperados" abduct a young boy from a small town in Alabama. The boy, who insists he is an Apache warrior named Red Chief, proves to be more than they can handle. Nothing goes as planned for the hapless kidnappers in this holiday treat from O. Henry, "The Ransom of Red Chief." This episode marks the finale of season one of Mysterious Journey.
Holiday Theater Dec. 10-11
A double dose of holiday cheer will be on stage in the Cheek Theatre Friday & Saturday, Dec. 10-11. Two tales of Christmas in New York are performed as part of “Playhouse on the Air” a vintage radio program complete with sound effects. Episode one: a grumpy detective must find a killer whose victims are all dressed as Santa. Episode two: Nimble Nick needs to blow town before a furious mob boss catches up to him. He’s just got one errand to complete on Christmas Eve before he takes a powder. FREE performances at 7:30 for two nights only. A donation jar is in the lobby.
Mystery Theater • Nov. 12-13
Mystery Theater returns for two performances only, Fri. & Sat. Nov. 12-13 in the Cheek Theatre at Rockford University. Performed as if it were a vintage 1940s radio broadcast, Mystery Theater is a pay-what-you-can event. Episode One: A tough lady detective is in a bind when her client is murdered and there are too many clues. Episode Two: A crime reporter finds himself in a hilarious bind when a beautiful blonde hires him to uncover the secrets of a haunted castle.
Opening Night at Last!
After being shuttered for 18 months, AET returns to live performances with Jeeves Saves the Day, no playing through October 17. Bertie Wooster is in a pickle… again. He somehow got accidentally engaged to a terrifying girl named Honoria Glossop whose even more terrifying father is coming to call. Plus, Aunt Agatha has made him responsible for his out-of-control cousin, Egbert Bakewell (good old Eggs and Bacon). Fortunately, there is Jeeves. Call the box office (11-3, M-F) or order tickets online HERE
Cousins up to mischief…
Conclusion of "The Man in the Brown Suit"
AET’s podcast, Mysterious Journey, has been running a multi-part adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Man in the Brown Suit. The final episode is out. If you’ve been waiting, now you can binge the entire novel!
AET on the REBOUND!
AET is reopening live in-person performances. The season begins October 7, but prior to that, AET presents REBOUND, a special one-night-only performance on stage at Starlight Theater on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7:30. And it’s FREE! Season flex passes and single tickets to AET’s production of Jeeves Saves the Day will be available. REBOUND is one of AET’s signature faux radio broadcasts featuring a Dashiell Hammett mystery, “Who Killed Bobby Teal?” and a P.G. Wodehouse comedy, “Bertie Steps Out.”
Poirot Makes a Wager
The second episode of AET’s podcast, Mysterious Journey, is out.. “Poirot Makes a Wager” is adapted from a short story by Agatha Christie. Famed detective Hercule Poirot accepts a wager from long-time friend/rival Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard. Poirot insists he can solve a crime without examining the crime scene or interviewing a single witness. Japp agrees to provide the facts and Poirot will employ “the little grey cells.”
AET Launches a Podcast
How does a theater company continue to perform during a world-wide pandemic? AET’s answer is to launch a podcast: Mysterious Journey, Theater for the Mind. Short audio plays adapted from stories by writers like Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and more. Each play is performed by AET actors. New episodes will drop bi-weekly beginning October 27.
Romance Theater • Feb. 7–8
Jeeves is about to go on his annual holiday and Bertie is on his own. "What could possibly go wrong? The answer, of course, is “plenty.” Bertie is enjoying the exhilaration of managing his own affairs when, amazingly, things go awry. Jeeves himself narrates the tale of Bertie’s misfortunes in this one-act prequel to AE’s upcoming full length play, Jeeves Saves the Day.
This is part of Romance Theater, a vintage radio broadcast done with standing microphones and a sound effects table. Join David A. Gingerich, Gary Wingert, Stephen F. Vrtol III, Pat Staaf, Patte Armato Lund, and Carolyn Cadigan for this salute to the golden age of radio. This a pay-what-you can event with just two performances, Fri. and Sat. Feb. 7-8 at 7:30 in the Cheek Theater.