The melodrama Caught in the Villain’s Web includes adult parts for four men and six women in a range of ages. All ten characters are described below, along with a number in parentheses giving an approximate number of lines for each role. Ages and physical descriptions, where noted, are approximate.

Felicity Fair (152)
Our persecuted heroine, who is more sinned against than sinning. She is in her middle 20’s, and, according to the script, suffering and sorrow have left their mark on her beautiful face. So radiant are her charms, however, that nothing can spoil the loveliness that shines from within.

Malvern Larkfield (247)
Our manly-bosomed hero, who raises stinkweeds in the hope of growing a medicinal herb. Here is a hero who would set any girl’s heart aflame. Tall, robust, as handsome and gallant as a knight of old. He has a poetic nature; his every action proclaims the tender sentiments that dwell within his heart. In his middle 20’s and clean-shaven.

Mrs. Regina Larkfield (204)
Malvern’s hard-hearted mother, who is determined that Malvern shall marry shallow and artifical Nella. In her middle 50’s, she is an imperious and domineering woman who will resort to anything to get her own way.

Lona Larkfield (68)
Malvern’s young sister, who has a heart of gold. She is a pretty girl of 19 or so who appears to be even younger than she really is.

Brockton (151)
An ex-criminal now employed as the Larkfield’s butler. Described in the text as in his middle 50’s, of medium height with white hair and long sideburns. More important than his age and size is his personality. He has an impassive manner and is meek and servile.

Denise (40)
A French maid in her early 20’s, a pretty and vivacious girl who speaks with a French accent.

Cyril Bothingwell (158)
An unscrupulous villain who is steeped in infamy and who will stop at nothing to gain his foul ends. Described as a tall, powerfully built rogue in his early 30’s, steeped in the ways of treachery and deceit. Could easily be older. Suave and debonair, he gives the impression of being a man of the world. In reality he is shrewd, cunning and crafty, a ruthless villain who does not know the meaning of fair play.

Nella Hargrave (71)
Who insists that she has fallen in love with Malvern but in reality plans to double-cross him after she is married by getting his money and spending it on herself. She about 30 years of age, but strives mightily to look younger than she really is. Like Regina, she is shallow and affected and uses a broad “A” at all times. She presents a stunning appearance.

Mrs. Geraldine Hargrave (25)
Nella’s mother, who enjoys bad health. Described as a woman of 50 who is always complaining about how she feels.

Dr. Hugo Belch (44)
Regina’s physician. He is described in the text as a short, thin man of sixty, but his age and size are not important. He is of a fussy temperament, easily upset, the type of man who is putty in the hands of a woman like Regina.

The Peapack Players are pleased and excited to present a very talented cast for the current season’s entertainment. Players include:

Debbie Glicklich-Fliegauf (Felicity Fair) is returning to Peapack Reformed Church after having performed as one of the Weeping Women in A Living Passion. She has also been seen in The Boyfriend (Dulcie), Trial By Jury (Forewoman) and Twelve Angry Jurors (Juror #11). In addition, Debbie has sung with the Warren County Community Singers of Washington, NJ, and she is a member of “The grownups Playground,” an improvisational comedy troupe that performs at the NY Comedy Club. Longer range, she wants to become more involved with independent filmmaking and has written a screenplay that she plans to produce someday. Debbie thanks her family for all their support, Greg for all of his love and infinite patience, and her “agent” for getting her back into the loop.

Tom Laureys (Malvern Larkfield) began acting just to try something new and fun. His stage debut was at Pax Amicus Theater in a production of Beauty and the Beast. He immediately caught the acting bug and returned for three more shows at Pax Amicus before exploring other area theaters. He has performed in 16 shows including California Suite at Dover Little Theater, The Visitor at Parsippany Playhouse, Lend Me a Tenor at Rockaway Townsquare Players and again at the Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum (“because it was so much fun I had to do it again.”), The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Foreigner at the Black River Playhouse in Chester, and Treasure Island at The Growing Stage. He has also performed in several dinner theater productions portraying the detective in a murder mystery and the groom in a mock wedding. Tom comes from a large family including five brothers and four sisters, and his mother, who has seen every one of his plays.

Beth Gleason (Mrs. Regina Larkfield) was most recently seen in September Song singing “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” and “Give ‘em What They Want” with the Ridge Light Opera Company in Basking Ridge. For that production she was also responsible for costuming. By day, she teaches dance and gymnastics and she is currently guest director for the dramatics program at the Gill St. Bernards School where the senior high production of Curious Savage will be performed in November. Next spring, she will direct and choreograph the musical Once On This Island. She has also directed Lucky Stiff, The 1940’s Radio Hour, and Little Shop of Horrors, and has appeared in Dames at Sea (Mona and Joan), Nine (Carla), Bye, Bye Birdie (Rosie), Anything Goes (Bonnie), The Servant of Two Masters (Beatrice), among others.

Shannon Ludlum (Lona Larkfield), a senior at Gill St. Bernards, is happy to be making her Peapack Players debut. She is currently rehearsing the role of Miss Willie in the school’s forthcoming production of The Curious Savage. Since the sixth grade, Shannon has been appearing in her school productions, and her most memorable roles have been as Agnes in Meet Me in St. Louis, Mary Jane (“the blonde bombshell”) in Damn Yankees, and Rita in Lucky Stiff. She also performed in The Secret Garden with the Gill Community Players. Shannon would like to thank Beth and Dave for telling her about this opportunity with the Peapack Players (“Love you guys! Thanks for all your help and support.”) her ma (“Thanx Maa!”), and the cast of Caught in the Villain’s Web (“This has been a wonderful experience.”) Shannon dedicates her performance to her cousin Jeanette, who is her inspiration and friend.

Ashley Lund-Pearson (Denise, the French Maid) is completing her senior year at Bernards High, looking toward a career in marketing/Computer Sciences. She is a seasoned actor as she has played the part of Sarah Bernhardt for seventeen years, a prima ballerina at age four, a consummate Shower Vocalist, skilled varsity epee escrime, and award-winning photographer. Ashley would like to thank her family and friends for their support and encouragement.

Chris Winans (Brockton) as appeared in The Servant of Two Masters and Our Town at Peapack Reformed and considers himself a Peapack Players veteran. He won an AVY award for stage managing Piano Bar, and he is currently a member of the board of Trilogy Repertory. This past summer, he stage-managed Romeo and Juliet for Trilogy’s Plays in the Park.

Dave Villepique (Cyril Bothingwell), when not managing assets for his brokerage clients as a financial advisor, can be found extolling the virtues of his two daughters or performing on the community stage. Over the years, he has acted with Trilogy, Chatham, Chester, Barn, and here with the Peapack Players in drama, musicals and comedy. Favorite roles include the Stage Manager (Our Town), Bernard (Don’t Dress for Dinner), Victor Velasco (Barefoot in the Park), and Larabie Sr. (Sabrina Fair). He has also been seen in The Scarlet Pimpernel (Robespierre), 1776 (Hancock), Oklahoma! (Ike), Joseph…Dreamcoat (Jacob), and in Camelot, Amadeus, Six Degrees of Separation, Anything Goes, and as the Captain in Dames at Sea. Dave’s big fear is that this role in Caught in the Villain’s Web will will typecast him irredeemably.

Patricia Idell (Nella Hargrave) is thrilled to be in her first performance with the Peapack Players. A mother of four lively children, she enjoys driving, working with teenagers and storytelling. In her spare time she attends Fairleigh Dickinson University where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Education. Patricia would like to thank Allen for the opportunity to play such a character, Jess and Christopher for endless babysitting, Caileigh for her help with characterization, Chris for his patience, and Liam for just being himself

Catherine Schrein (Mrs. Geraldine Hargrave) moved to Basking Ridge four years ago where she is Manager of the Environmental Education Center for the Somerset County Park Commission. A mother of three grown children and a grandmother of twin boys, Catherine completed two majors at the University of Toledo (education and theater) and completed coursework in Theatre Education at NYU. Her love of theater began in grade school and she later appeared in high school productions. Acting credits includes appearances in Death Trap, Spoon River Anthology, Our Town, Meet Me in St. Louis, Life with Father and You Can’t Take It with You. “Discovering the Peapack Players,” she says, “has added a wonderful new dimension to my life in Somerset County. I am very happy and proud to be a member of the Caught in the Villain’s Web cast and look forward to future productions.

Frank Higbie (Dr. Hugo Belch) is a chemist (M.S. in chemistry from U. Mass) at Akzo Nobel in New Brunswick and lives in Bridgewater with his wife Lois, a math professor at Brookdale Community College. His daughter Meredith is a graduate of Skidmore College where she majored in Geology, and son David went to Brown (history major) and currently attends flight school in Florida. He has appeared in productions of Arsenic and Old Lace at Circle Theater, Rehearsal for Murder and Laura in Westfield, On Borrowed Time with the Philathaliens, You Can’t Take It With You at Dover Little Theater, and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in Plainfield. Among his favorite roles is that of Mr. Stanley in the Chester Theatre Group production of The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Linda Jean Lipkin (Producer) has been involved over the years in acting, singing, dancing and costuming in a variety of community theater events both here and in New Hampshire, As a member of the Amherst Community Players, she participated in productions of Paint Your Wagon, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Plaza Suite. At Peapack Reformed Church, Linda appeared in the Trilogy Repertory production of The Servant of Two Masters and last year produced, costumed, and appeared on stage in Our Town with the Peapack Players. Linda’s greatest enjoyment was realized through her years with the Amherst Follies, a cabaret theater dance troupe that performed at numerous events throughout New Hampshire.

Allen Crossett (Co-director) helped to create Trilogy Repertory more than 20 years ago and remains grateful to Jaye Barre, the current Trilogy president, for her continuing support. Among Allen’s favorite projects were the Trilogy productions of Vanities, The Taming of the Shrew, The Servant of Two Masters, Don’t Dress for Dinner, The Crucible and his own Winter Nights. He also fondly recalls directing Ten Nights in a Barroom for The New Theater of Bernardsville, and last fall’s production of Our Town for the Peapack Players. His reviews of professional theater in New Jersey appear regularly in the newspapers of the Recorder Publishing Company.

Hugh Wallace (Co-director) has been active in area community theater, both on stage and off, for the past 20 years. Some of his favorite roles include Starbuck in The Rainmaker, Biondello in The Taming of the Shrew, and Truffaldino in The Servant of Two Masters. Two summers ago, he directed Scapino! for Trilogy Repertory’s Plays in the Park, and last fall he portrayed Dr. Gibbs in the Peapack Players production of Our Town.

Gail Solomon (Stage Manager) brings to this production more than two decades of experience with both community and professional theater in New Jersey. Most recently, she worked as Assistant Stage Manager for numerous productions at the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum in Morristown. She also has a host of acting credits, including such roles as Clarissa Hailsham Brown in Agatha Christie’s Spider’s Web, Maggie in The Man Who Came to Dinner, and Augusta Ames in Gramercy Ghost. This production marks her debut with the Peapack Players.

Henry Repp (Music Director/Piano Player) is the organist/choir director at Peapack Reformed Church. He studied with Robert McDonald at Riverside Church, New York, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. He has accompanied Messiah performances for many years with the Dover Area Oratorio Choir. He has also been accompanist for the Sussex County Oratorio Society, the Livingston Festival Choir Concerts, and the Livingston Broadway Show Tunes Revue. In additional, he has performed in numerous concerts at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark, and others. Henry was the musical director for the Peapack Players’ production last year of Our Town.

Anne Hampson (Vocal Director/Soloist) includes among her professional stage credits the national and international tours of Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera and numerous Gilbert & Sullivan productions. CD credits include performing with the Fugs in the rock opera Star Peace. Anne, who is the alto soloist and group leader of the senior choir at Peapack Reformed, was a member of the Our Town choir in the Players’ 2001 production.

Peapack-Gladstone – Director Allen Crossett announced today that auditions for parts in the New Peapack Players’ production of Herbert E. Swayne’s Caught in the Villain’s Web or More Sinned Against Than Sinning will take place at Fellowship Hall of Peapack Reformed Church on Monday, July 15, Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 18, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Scripts will be provided for readings. Rehearsals of the melodrama will start in late summer. Performances will be given on October 18, 19, 25 and 26.

The Peapack Reformed Church is a white, clapboard structure located on Main Street and Mendham Road in Gladstone, directly opposite the Gladstone railroad station.

For more information, please call or e-mail director Allen Crossett (908-234-0216 or dallen@gti.net) or producer Linda Lipkin (908-696-0161).

All performances will be held at historic Peapack Reformed Church, Main Street and Mendham Road, Gladstone, NJ. The church is located directly across the street from New Jersey Transit’s Gladstone train station.

A local map with driving directions can be found at the Peapack Reformed Church website.