Friday, January 19, 2018

Gary Weinstein Channels Colombo in His Role as Detective Blore

Gary Weinstein models his bumbling Detective Blore ...



... on another famous detective.
Like any good magician, murder mystery author Agatha Christie is well-versed in the art of misdirection.  And in her classic “whodunit” And Then There Were None, no character is better at this sleight of hand than detective William Henry Blore. Gary Weinstein plays Blore in the Farmington Players production. As Gary says, “the diversionary tactic that Agatha Christie uses in the writing of this story is one of the things that I think the audience will enjoy the most – Look, over here while something else is going on over there – totally misleading you.  A true ‘whodunit.’”

Blore is a retired investigator for the Central Investigation Department (a C.I.D. man), who now runs his own private detective agency.  Gary describes Blore as “a Columbo-like character, who is selfish, self-centered, and doesn’t have a clue who the murderer is.  His simplemindedness lends him to be the perfect character for the play’s comic relief.  His Cockney accent and his suspicious mannerisms are the things that I find most challenging in this role.”  Blore’s obsession with food and drink is also cause for comedy … and concern. As another character complains, “Do stop thinking about your stomach, Blore.  This craving for food and drink will be your undoing.”

Despite its comedic moments, And Then There Were None is definitely a drama. Ten strangers have been invited to an island mansion by an unknown host. Each one has something in their past that they wish to hide. As the play unfolds, these secrets are revealed, sometimes with fatal consequences. As Gary observes, “one of the overriding themes of the story is how a simple act, or an accident, has the ability to alter the course of one’s life, and how, if not in the moment of the incident, we may ‘pay for it’ in the long run.”   

Gary has played a number of challenging and exciting roles on the Farmington Player’s stage, including Earl Noonan in The Vast Difference, Tony in The Full Monty, Mr. Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank, Robert in Boeing Boeing, Dr. Einstein in Arsenic & Old Lace, and Renfield in Dracula, to name a few.  As with his past Barn experiences, Gary “truly enjoys working with such an incredibly talented and dedicated group of actors, directors, and crew.”  Gary also likes golfing, travel, and working in his Novi jewelry store, Weinstein Jewelers, the show's sponsor.


And Then There Were None has 9 performances at Farmington Players Barn Theater from February 9 - 25.  The show is proudly sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers.  Tickets are available online at farmingtonplayers.org or by emailing boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or calling the Barn box office at 248-553-2955.

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