"The Secret Adversary" Cast List

Congratulations to our cast of “The Secret Adversary”! Thank you to all who came out to audition, we look forward to seeing you again at the next one.

YPPC One Act Cast Lists

Auditioners: thank you for coming out to try for this production! We thank you all, and congratulations to those who are cast! We look forward to your performance.

Another Agatha Christie Hits the YP Stage

A great whodunnit to come see, written by the famous Agatha Christie.

Murder is often surprising and unexpected, so what does it mean when you suddenly know the exact time and place that one will occur? The Yorkshire Playhouse is kicking off its season of mystery with A Murder is Announced by Leslie Darbon, adapted from Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name. Christie has repeatedly proved herself to be the “Queen of Mystery” with her novel settings, timeless characters, and twisting plots, and her stories have been popular at the Playhouse, with The Stranger performed last October, Murder on the Orient Express performed in 2022, and The Mousetrap performed in 2016.

This mystery is set in a quaint English village in the 1940s, and all scenes take place in Little Paddocks, an elegant cottage bursting with curious characters. The owner, Miss Blacklock, is the designated peace-keeper for her bickering niece and nephew, paranoid cook, permanently flummoxed best friend, a mysterious lodger, and occasionally nosy neighbors. When a newspaper advertisement declares that a murder will take place at Little Paddocks at 6:30 on Friday the thirteenth, the cottage is thrown into chaos, and all sense of normalcy disappears. In classic Christie style, secrets, connections, and true identities are soon revealed in a seemingly innocent setting. 

Christie fans will be excited to know that this is a Marple mystery. Miss Marple, who features in many of Christie’s novels, is a friendly, grandmotherly woman who possesses a canny wit, enormous curiosity, and a sharp eye for detail, hidden behind a quiet, unassuming nature and a pair of knitting needles. Fans who have read the book will still be in for surprises, and perhaps notice details that were easy to overlook on the page.

A notable aspect of this show is the aesthetics. Cardigans, strings of pearls, a golden chandelier, stunning views from a bay window, and foie gras sandwiches cement that though there’s murder in the air, there’s no reason not to be civilized. 

A Murder is Announced will run February 7th, 13th and 14th at 7:30 p.m., and the 8th, 9th and 16th at 2:00 p.m. You can purchase tickets at the box office at yorkshireplayhouse.com

"A Murder is Announced" Cast List

Thank you to all who came out and auditioned! Congratulations to those who were cast! Please come again to audition for future productions.

"The Stranger" Cast List

Congratulations to the cast members!

Pride and Prejudice: Cast List

Thank you to all the brilliant actors who came out to audition for this show! Congratulations to the cast!

In Dearest Memory of Lucianne Reichert

In Dearest Memory of Lucianne Reichert

With heavy hearts, we recount joyful memories of Lucianne Reichert, one of Yorkshire Playhouse’s cherished volunteers. A book could be filled with stories of her Playhouse adventures. Here are just a few of them. 

Karla Ott describes Lucianne as always smiling, fiercely loyal, and persistent. “She delivered a Hyacinth plant to the hospital when Henry was born,” Karla says. “It smelled delightful!” When it came to giving advice, Lucianne told Karla, "Don't worry! God gives amateur babies to amateur parents.”

Karla has a few more words she associates with Luciane: resourceful, talented, artistic, brilliant, generous, and “a good friend."

Don Keelan-White, another good friend of Lucianne’s, recounts his fond memories of both Lucianne and her husband, Bob. 

The story of Lucianne Reichert is a love story.

Lucianne was madly in love with her husband, Robert "Bob" Reichert. So, it was only logical that she would be there at his side when Bob became deeply involved with the fledgling organization Yorkshire Playhouse in its early days.

The naming of the Reichert Theatre was not only a symbol of Yorkshire Playhouse's appreciation for Bob's tireless devotion, but a symbol of Lucianne's commitment to honoring his name and her love for him in perpetuity.

Lucianne was as eccentric and idiosyncratic as she was resolute and unshakeable. One of the early productions of Yorkshire Playhouse was "The Wizard of Oz" which featured York Middle School students and staff, a production which I directed. Lucianne in her endless pursuit of the off-beat and quirky happened on to a unique costume design for the Tin Man--to be made exclusively of plastic milk cartons.Lucianne and I had several animated conversions over the matter, but eventually I had to explain that the style of the milk bottles simply was not compatible with the costumes that we were renting for the other characters in the show. Reluctantly accepting my decision but undeterred, Lucianne went ahead and made a Tin Man costume out of the plastic milk jugs she had collected just to prove to me that it could be done. There was never any doubt that Lucianne was fully capable of constructing that costume. I will never forget the sheepish expression on Lucianne's face when she showed me the costume. All I could do was smile and say, "Lucianne, you're amazing."

Now it seems that the Reichert Theatre can aptly be named for both of the Reicherts--Bob and Lucianne. They were pretty amazing people--both of them.

According to Barry Redfern, the success of the Yorkshire Playhouse in the 1970s was largely thanks to the efforts of the Reicherts. In remembering Lucianne, Barry states, “You never were at a production where she wasn’t there, making sure everything was run correctly.” 

Lucianne was a fierce supporter of the Yorkshire Playhouse. Without her passion for keeping the arts alive and generous contributions, the playhouse wouldn't be what it is today. Her work will be remembered for many years to come.