2024 Season

Accused!

Buy tickets

Subscribe

written by Patricia Milton
directed by Kimberly Ridgeway
Jul 13–Aug 11

World Premiere #74: a comic murder mystery from the Central Works Writers Workshop

 

The Victorian Lady Detectives return in a hilarious murder mystery.  Just as the Lady Detectives have accepted a new murder case, a dead body turns up in the parlor of the Hunter Lodging House. And the evidence  points to Victorian Lady Detective Katie Smalls herself as the prime suspect. The trail of clues leads our intrepid detectives into a murderous web of anarchists and religious fanatics in their most daring caper yet!

 

Accused! is a SF Chronicle DATEBOOK PICK!

 

Single Tickets

Fri-Sun: $35-45
Thu & previews: pay-what-you-can

Day of Performance Discounts

Fri-Sun: sliding scale $45-$20 at noon day of show

Information & subscriber reservations

Call 510.558.1381

Please note: We reserve seats only for subscribers; general seating for all other ticket-holders.

Performance calendar

(note 7pm showtime on Saturdays!)

Thu Fri Sat Sun
Jul 11
8pm
Preview
12
8pm
Preview
13
7pm
Opening
14
5pm
18
8pm
19
8pm
20
7pm
21
5pm
25
8pm
26
8pm
27
7pm
28
5pm
Aug 1
8pm
2
8pm
3
7pm
4
5pm
8
8pm
9
8pm
10
7pm
11
5pm
15
8pm
16
8pm
17
No show
18
5pm

Running Time

110 minutes with a 10-min intermission

Acting Ensemble:
Chelsea Bearce: Katie Smalls
Alan Coyne: Lord Philip Ian Albert, Deacon Manley & Henri Blancmange
Lauren Dunagan:
Loveday Fortescue
Sindu Singh:
Allison Tinglepenny & Inspector Mary Perkins
Jan Zvaifler
: Valeria Hunter

Stage Management: Natalia Rivera-Ramos
Assistant Stage Management: Hannah Haliburton
Costume design: Tammy Berlin
Fan Fight Choreography: Asha Rodgers & Maria Rodgers
Light design: Stephanie Anne Johnson
Prop design: Alexandria Volk
Sound design: Gregory Scharpen


 

 

Patricia Milton (playwright) is Resident Playwright at Central Works Theater in Berkeley. Her plays at Central Works include The Engine of Our Disruption, Bamboozled (Outstanding Production, East Bay, and Outstanding Ensemble, Theatre Bay Area), Hearts of Palm, Reduction in Force, The Victorian Ladies’ Detective Collective (BroadwayWorld Critics Choice “Best of Maine” 2022, at The Public Theater) and Escape from the Asylum (Outstanding Production, 2022, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics  Circle). Enemies: Foreign and Domestic (Central Works) was awarded Outstanding World Premiere Play by TBA. Without Mercy was commissioned and produced by Off-Broadway West. Her comedy Believers was produced in San Francisco (Wily West Productions) and ran for three years in Istanbul.
Kimberly Ridgeway (director) is a director, actor, playwright, and producer. Kimberly has directed projects locally for Altarena Playhouse, African American Shakespeare Company, Contra Costa Civic Theatre, Dragon Productions Theatre Company, Ubuntu Theatre Project, Bay Area Performing Arts Collective, Bay Area Drama Company, SF Playhouse, Town Hall Theatre, Playwrights Center of San Francisco, SF Playground, Theatre Rhinoceros, 3Girls Theatre and TheatreFirst. She has also directed projects for Three Willows Theatre (TX), National Black Theatre (NY), and Spokane Civic Theatre (WA). Kimberly wrote, produced and directed the full-length stage plays Prospect Place, Heavy Burdens, No More Secrets, The ConfessionThe Gigolo Chronicles, and The Drowning Pool.  Some of Kimberly’s notable acting roles include The Revolutionists, The Piano Lesson, Colman Domingo’s DOT, and her award-winning portrayal of Camae in Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop.

Victorian Lady Detectives Katie Smalls (Chelsea Bearce) and Loveday Fortescue (Lauren Dunagan) are confounded by a complicated double-murder case.

Central Works presents world premiere #74: Accused! by Patricia Milton, July 13 – Aug 18 at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley.

Photo by Robbie Sweeny

Allison Tinglepenny (Sindu Singh), fearing her friend was murdered and she’ll be next, brings a box of puzzling clues to the Lady Detectives.

Central Works presents world premiere #74: Accused! by Patricia Milton, July 13 – Aug 18 at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley.

Photo by Robbie Sweeny

Devoted to prayer and pugilism, Deacon Morris Manley (Alan Coyne) gives the detectives a great deal to ponder.

Central Works presents world premiere #74: Accused! by Patricia Milton, July 13 – Aug 18 at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley.

Photo by Robbie Sweeny

Loveday Fortescue (Lauren Dunagan), who is magniloquent in French, is at first delighted to translate for anarchist suspect Henri Blancmange (Alan Coyne).

Central Works presents world premiere #74: Accused! by Patricia Milton, July 13 – Aug 18 at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley.

More photos HERE

Photo by Robbie Sweeny

Read about us in the SF/ARTS Calendar

“a comedic gem that breathes fresh life into the murder mystery genre” -J. Cillo, For All Events

“Victorian lady detectives go wild in entertaining Accused!” -J. Schiffman, Bay City News

“a truly delightful way to pass an elegant evening of fun, satire, and joyful goofiness” -C. Kruger, Theatrestorm

“a fun romp…full of clever dialogue” -V. Cordell, Berkshire Fine Arts

“an enjoyable night of theater” -E. Mendel, Berkeleyside

“Don’t miss the fun at Central Works’ latest world premiere” -S. Dunn, Aisle Seat Review

“Accused! delights with suspense and cunning” -P. Morin. Front Row Review

“Milton has forged a crafty plot full of witty dialogue and lots of humor” -S. Hogarty, East Bay Times

 

Interested in learning more about Patricia Milton’s research for the play?
Check out her tumblr page

Read the NY times article about 19th century anarchists and terorism

 


The scones baked by Valeria Hunter (Jan Zvaifler) are like London weather: predictably unpleasant.

 


The Victorian Ladies Detective Collective (from left: Chelsea Bearce, Lauren Dunagan, and Jan Zvaifler) endeavor to work out a missing clue.

 


Inspector Mary Perkins (Sindu Singh), a former dynamiter herself, is focused on catching the killer.

 


Lord Philip Ian Albert (Alan Coyne) is determined to be admitted to the London Horticulture Society…or else!

 


American immigrant Katie Smalls (Chelsea Bearce), attempts to disarm an anarchist’s bomb.