Lights, Camera...Medication! by the East Mountain Centre for Theatre

Original works by a local artist are still on the menu at the East Mountain Centre for Theatre, where "Lights, Camera... Medication!" is currently in production. The annual October murder mystery is now in its 8th year with the company, and this year it's a musical as well, with an original script & score written by Richard Atkins, who also directs and performs in the show.

Set in the Sunnyvale Asylum, we meet Nurse Ainsley, played by Cheryl Atkins, the caretaker of the institution's residents, many of which believe themselves to be TV characters and Hollywood celebrities -- Elvis, Ginger Rogers, John Huston, Joan Crawford and Perry Mason being only a few. But while rehearsing the asylum's annual talent show, something nefarious happens and one inmate ends up dead.

  Click HERE to listen to director Richard Atkins and actors Cheryl Atkins, Catie, Kay & Tim Reardon discuss the show 

The Whodunnit style mystery continues to unfold, and (of course) everyone is a suspect, including the asylum staff. The show is written to showcase each cast member who must rely on their ability to do celebrity impressions, have their own solo numbers to perform, and equally require a strong comic presence to keep the laughs coming, as the body count begins to stack up. 

If the chemistry among the players seems natural, it's no wonder with two husband-and-wife teams (Cheryl and Richard Atkins, David and Marteena Bentley) as well as a father-mother-daughter team (Tim, Kay and Catie Reardon) and many more rounding out the tight knit cast. With a title song that's meant to get you to your feet, the show encourages the audience to relax and enjoy the asylum's antics. 

Presented in the performance space in the Vista Grande Community Center, the dinner theatre show includes a catered meal by Atrios Catering, and plenty of laughs to be had. If you're ready for some entertainment set in the beautiful East Mountains of Albuquerque, take I-40 exit 175 and head north on Highway 14/337 to visit the Sunnyvale Asylum and its residents. To purchase tickets, or find out more information about the East Mountain Centre for Theatre and their youth programs, visit their website at www.emct.org or call (505) 286-1950.