By Mary O’KEEFE

A new theatre company is preparing to take the stage in La Crescenta with a new play by veteran writer Sam Bobrick.

“Two Dukes and a Duchess Theatre Company” is comprised of three 20-something college friends Chris Higgins, Allie Olson and Charly Shelton. The three met when they were cast in Bobrick’s play “Flemming.”

“We really work well together,” Shelton said. “And the play was fun to perform.”

Shelton decided to write to Bobrick to tell him how much he enjoyed “Flemming.” Bobrick wrote back and offered Shelton the chance to do his unpublished sequel titled, “Dinner at the Flemmings.”

“It was a perfect opportunity to continue with our characters and will give us a chance to offer a chance to others to perform in a first run play,” Shelton said.

Higgins and Shelton live in La Crescenta and at first were just looking for a place to perform but as they were setting up production they thought this would be a great way to launch a community-type theatre.

When a play is first performed the performers and location are included as part of that play’s history.  This would be a chance to have La Crescenta included in that first run history.

Bobrick is a veteran writer with credits that trace back to The Andy Griffith Show, and has written or co-written over 30 plays.

In the first comedy, Henry, a middle age, middle-of-the-road business man ditched his dull life to delve into a new exciting world as a private detective.

His wife Karen found the best way to deal with her husband’s strange choice was indulging in a variety of creative cocktails. His neighbor Stan, a psychologist, needs more counseling then most of his patients.

At the end of the first play, Stan ditches his life and runs off to Mexico with Henry’s murdering secretary.

The sequel follows the three characters and their lives a few years later. Both Karen and Henry have put their drinks down for good. Henry has gone from a novice detective to a real life private eye. They are now Nick and Nora Charles-type without the drinking. Karen still enjoys her social life. They invite friends to a dinner party but proving that the more things change the more they remain the same, a guest is murdered.

In true noir style, Henry invites guests to a second dinner party to flesh out the murderer, and another guest is killed. The bad luck continues a third time…. Henry begins not only to run out of suspects but out of friends.

  local youth actors, theater