The setting for “The Mousetrap,” based on the short story “Three Blind Mice,” is an idyllic English manor house newly opened by an eager young couple. The Kelsey production features a group of strangers trapped together during a snowstorm amid news of a murder nearby. Mistrust and fear soon take center stage — and none of the characters is above suspicion. After more than 60 years on stage in London — making it the longest continuous run of any play in history — “The Mousetrap” still keeps audiences on the edge of their seats and guessing until the very end.
Andrew Gordon of West Windsor plays the role of Christopher Wren, the first guest to arrive at the hotel. The character, a young man, appears slightly bizarre and hyperactive.
“I’ve had such great fun working on this wonderful show by Dame Agatha Christie,” says Gordon. “Christie is a brilliant storyteller, taking the reader or audience on a journey with a whole bunch of twists and turns, they can’t help but be on the edge of their seats. My character, Christopher Wren, is a bit of an eccentric, completely fascinated with antique furniture and cooking, though there’s a hidden darkness underneath his whimsical and mischievous nature. Am I, or am I not the murderer? You’ll have to come see ‘The Mousetrap’ to find out.”
Acting since childhood, Gordon credits his career path to Georgine Hall, a teacher of drama at the Lewis School and a professional actor. During his years at High School North, he was in productions including “High School Musical.” He performed in “The Pregnancy Project,” a play about teen pregnancy, on stage in New York City in 2010.
After graduating from Mercer County Performing Arts High School and North in 2010 he studied at New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, a two-year school, with a focus on acting. He studied the Meisner technique, acting for television, film, and more.
Born in Australia, Gordon has lived in West Windsor since 2001. His mother, Jill, is the school nurse at Saint Ann School in Lawrenceville and his father, Neil, is a senior trial manager of clinical drug supply at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. His sister, Verity, a June graduate from High School North, is focusing on a career in fashion design. “They always come to opening night and are behind me 100 percent,” he says.
Christine Szemis of Plainsboro is the stage manager. She received a Perry Award from New Jersey Association of Community Theaters recently for her position as stage manager for “Peter Pan” at Kelsey theater produced in March. She initially became involved with community theater when her middle son, David, was 11 and decided he wanted to become an actor. He is now a senior majoring in marketing at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Her other sons are Stephen, a junior at Notre Dame High School; and her oldest son, Kevin, who graduated from Emerson College with a major in studio television, and is now living in Los Angeles and working for TMZ as a broadcast engineer.
When not backstage, she works as a communication systems engineer for a major defense contractor. Her husband, Ed, is a programmer and systems analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The family has lived in West Windsor since 1995.
A reception with the cast and crew will follow the opening performance on Friday, September 26.
The Mousetrap, Kelsey Theater, Mercer Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Agatha Christie murder mystery presented by Yardley Players. $18. 609-570-3333 or www.kelseytheatre.net.
