WS Chronicle

Stained Glass Playhouse will present “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” a comedy by John Bishop and directed by Diana Marshall-Shoaf, on Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 25-26, Nov. 1-2, and Nov. 8-9 at 8 pm, and on Sundays, Oct. 27, Nov. 3, and Nov. 10 at 3 pm.

In “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop – in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious “Stage Door Slasher” – re-assemble for a backer’s audition of their new show at a Westchester estate. But soon the infamous “Slasher” strikes again … and again … and again. A blizzard cuts off any possible retreat, bodies start to drop in plain sight, and accusing fingers point in all directions. With no help from the bumbling police inspector who snowshoes in to investigate, the team must solve the mystery on their own and unmask the “Slasher” themselves.

Stained Glass Playhouse’s production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” stars Alexis Rhodes as Helsa Wenzel, Pat Shumate as Elsa Von Grossenknueten, Bob Montle as Michael Kelly, Robert Evans as Patrick O’Reilly, Gregg Vogelsmeier as Ken De La Maize, Mollie Klekta as Nikki Crandall, Clayton Morgan as Eddie McCuen, Carol Griffin as Marjorie Baverstock, Chris Swaim as Roger Hopewell, and Janea Platt as Bernice Roth.

All performances will be held at Stained Glass Playhouse, located at 4401 Indiana Avenue in Winston-Salem, in the former sanctuary of Marvin United Methodist Church. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors (60+), $15 for students and teachers, and $10 for children under 12. For more information about the show, visit stainedglassplayhouse.org/the-musical-comedy-murders-of-1940.

“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” is the fall show in Stained Glass Playhouse’s 2024-2025 Season, which also includes John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt, A Parable” in February and will conclude with William Inge’s “Picnic” in May. For show and season flex tickets, visit stainedglassplayhouse.org or call our reservation line at (336) 499-1010.