Tag Agatha Christie

Agnes Krispie #FridayFunstuff

JT Twissel 22 Comments

One of my longtime blogging buddies, Hugh Roberts, is a master of flash fiction. Recently he issued a challenge to write a story in 101 words (no more or less) based on this picture.

Other guidelines are on Story Chat Digest (below). I don’t take part in too many challenges because I have enough trouble maintaining a regular blog and keeping the kitchen floor clean. But after yesterday’s long sojourn into troubled lives, I thought I owed you all a silly. Those of you still putting up with me that is!

Story Chat Digest: “Mastering the Art of Flash Fiction” by Hugh W. Roberts

So here, for Hugh, is my contribution.

Agnes Krispie

“You weren’t guaranteed a dead body!” Fred moaned. Every time the tour group returned to his bus they scoured the interior. They were easily the most rabid Christie fans he’d ever met.

“I think I found a clue!” Agnes Krispie shouted, causing the rest of the gang of eight to shuffle to the rear of the bus.

She held up the “clue” for all to see. “A fortune cookie!”

“Read the fortune!” The others cried.

“Please take your seats. This tour is over.”

“Oh no it’s not,” Agnes Krispie said, producing a pistol from her bag “This tour shall never end!

Set Building #ThursdayDoors

JT Twissel 20 Comments

We’re having a few lovely spring days before winter returns. And so I took a stroll through our community park. The tennis courts were full as were the pickleball courts. Toddlers meandered through the play structures and rolled around the grass watched carefully by their attendants. It was picture perfect in every way.

Curious, I climbed up to the open air theater to see if the Starlight Village Players had begun to prepare for their upcoming season.

I was not disappointed. The fun thing about outdoor theater is that you can generally observe the “behind the scenes” preparations. I assume the arched door leads back stage but we shall see.

To the left of the arched door, a city skyline seems to be taking shape.

To the right, another city skyline. Is that the Tower of London and Big Ben?

There are two panels in front of the skyline also in process. Red foxes, blue owls, a full moon – and is that a bear approaching? We’ll have to wait and see.

The Starlight Village Players are putting on three plays this season (in alphabetical order):

  • As You Like It by William Shakespeare
  • Carmilla by LeFanu
  • The Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie

Which one do you think they’re working on now? Ah, let’s see. The skyline of London?

The Spider’s Web, of course. Given the synopsis of this play, I don’t know how a nocturnal, forest scene fits in. Well, as I said, we’ll have to wait and see.

I can’t wait until the end of September. That’s when the Players plan to present Carmilla which I wrote about back in 2021. Is my small town ready for a play about erotic, lesbian vampires? We shall see!

Check out other – probably more interesting doors – at Dan’s place.

#ThursdayDoors: Young lady with wiener dog

JT Twissel 25 Comments

IMG_2026

Somehow I think this soon-to-be posh stationary store is targeting a shorter clientele than the tall young lady with the wiener dog, don’t you? When I first moved to this area, Walnut Creek was a sleepy mid-sized town built over farmland previously used for. . . yup, you got it.  Growing nuts.  Hey, it’s California – what did you expect? Now it’s almost a city.

Last month I posted pictures of an outdoor stage being readied for a show. Well, guess what?  My friend and I walked over one Sunday and saw the matinee.

Show

Moments before the show.

On a sizzling day in bright sunshine, you have to stretch your imagination because the climatic scene takes place late at night. The show, Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie, is a whodunit set entirely on the deck on a cruise ship (the audience is actually sitting in the Nile).  Between scenes we were asked by the director to pretend it was lights out as they played Egyptian music and moved props around the stage.

IMG_1962They handled the issue of intermission by having the character who’d just been shot leap to his feet and yell  “Intermission!”

According to the director’s note, the play was almost blacklisted in London. The reason: the cast included a maid and the Ministry of Labour objected. It’s hard to imagine an Agatha Christie play being offensive to anyone, isn’t it?

Check out other ThursdayDoors over at Norm Frampton’s place.