Arlington Friends of the Drama

Kathleen Dalton joins AFD again, this time as Madge Geisel, partner to Watson/Felix/Tom Formicola, in "The Game's Afoot or, Holmes For The Holidays" -- opening next weekend! We're so happy to share her wit and comic instincts in this very funny play. Kathleen is thrilled to be back onstage at AFD after appearing in "A Class Act," "Side By Side By Sondheim," and "A Little Night Music." Kathleen Dalton and Melody Martin Tom Formicola, Kathleen, and Iain Bason Other recent credi

It's hard not to notice the parallels between the plots of "An Inspector Calls" and the upcoming "The Game's Afoot or, Holmes For The Holidays" -- but, once you get beyond the plot, they could hardly be more different. "Game's Afoot" is just hilarious -- nonstop acerbic lines, slapstick comedy, and delight. And our inspector is miles from the somber man in "Inspector" -- she's a loopy interloper who's more like Columbo than Holmes... Christine Chilingerian plays Inspector Ha

First, we love her because she gamely jumped in to replace an ill actor during our production of "Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike" -- and killed it, despite needing to hold the script on stage the whole time. Second, we love her because she's an expert costume designer who not only does an excellent job (see the gorgeous costumes in "An Inspector Calls"), but also keeps AFD's costume closet in order despite all odds. Finally, she's played all kinds of helpful roles within

But NOT the actress who plays her. In "The Game's Afoot or, Holmes For The Holidays," Diana Doyle plays the dreadfully malicious and fiendishly clever Daria Chase. She's a snooping and ruthless reporter who shows up at the mansion uninvited -- and definitely unloved. She loves to throw a grenade in the middle of the room and wait for the boom. On the other hand, Diana is a lovely presence, and is a generous and funny actor. We're so happy to have her! Diana was most recently

A familiar face on the AFD stage, Randall Lawrence-Hurt (Randy L-H) appears next as Simon Bright in "The Game's Afoot or, Holmes For The Holidays." He recently showed up in dramatically different guise in "Clybourne Park," "An Inspector Calls," and "The Importance of Being Earnest." "Game's Afoot" "Inspector Calls" "Inspector Calls" "Importance of Being Earnest" Randy's been doing community theatre since he was six, when he played the changeling child in a school performance

As Melody Martin makes her debut with AFD as Aggie Wheeler in "The Game's Afoot or, Holmes For The Holidays," her costar Tom Formicola praises her "perky energy." We're so happy to welcome her grace and comic timing to our stage! Melody is delighted to be a part of such a wonderful cast after more than a year away from the stage. In that time she’s been honing her skills in the communications field for a nonprofit in Boston. Previous acting credits include The Happy Medium Th

There was a while there when we all had some uncomfortably suspicious feelings about Iain Bason... he was always just so... unctuous? untrustworthy? unlikable? From the puffed up patriarch in "An Inspector Calls" to the sneaky lothario in "Good People"-- he just wasn't very nice. Which, of course, is completely unlike the actual Iain Bason. A devoted dad, a tireless worker, a clever guy -- he's a pillar of our lil theater community. Next up, he'll be a little sneaky again, th

Honestly, it's not that often that the cast of a play is constantly laughing this hard while blocking a production. The play IS funny, for sure, but also this cast is hiLARious. You should give yourself a big fat holiday gift and come on down in December.

That moment when the stage goes from a stark and pedestrian work space to a magic other world? A lot of it is due to the artistry of lighting. In our last production of "Piazza," it was vital to capture the sun-bathed beauty of Florence, the musty grandeur of the duomo, the scary dark streets. The guy behind that show's lighting? Greg Mancusi-Ungaro. He joined the ranks behind the scenes last season, when he did the striking and atmospheric lighting for "An Inspector Calls."

Because the script for "Game's Afoot" is just that funny -- EVEN AFTER SEVERAL READINGS. Just so many funny lines. Join us for a real holiday treat. Linda Burtt Iain Bason