DEATHTRAP
a thriller in two acts
by Ira Levin

The action takes place in Sidney Bruhl’s Study, in the Bruhl home in Westport, Connecticut

ACT I
Scene 1: An afternoon on October of 1978
Scene 2: That evening
Scene 3: Two hours later

ACT II
Scene 1: Two weeks later, morning
Scene 2: A week later, night
Scene 3: Two hours later

This play is for mature audiences only due to realistic depictions of violence on stage.
There are gunshots and strobe lights used in this production.

The Cast

Sidney Bruhl ……………………………. Michael Lomenick
Myra Bruhl ………………………..…….. Jeanne Dwan
Clifford Anderson ……………….... Beck Damron
Helga Ten Dorp …………………..…. BEKA
Porter Milgrim ……………………..…. Aidan Sternberg

Production Staff

Producer …………………….……………. Wendy Kaplan
Director …………………………………..… Christa Retka
Violence Design ………………..……. Brian Plocharczyk
Intimacy Direction ………………..… Paige Klopfenstein
Set Design …………………………..…… Brian Wasserman
Costume Design …………………….. Wendy Kaplan
Lighting Design ……………………….. Pat Henderson
Production Manager ………………..Wayne Mell
Production Stage Manager ….. Elijah McTiernan
Wardrobe Supervisor …………….. Spencer Harrigan
Set Construction …………………….. Edgar East
Master Electrician …………………… Elijah McTiernan
Social Media Manager ……………. Laine Rogers
Publicist ……………………………………… Dave Gallagher
House Management ………………… Laine Rogers, Emily Silber, Noelle Rosa, Elise Blanchand

Special thanks to the City Lit Theatre, Debra Mell, Ascione Italian Bistro,
and the volunteer ushers from The Saints

produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Cast Biographies

BECK DAMRON he/him (Clifford) Recent credits: Peter & the Starcatcher (Paramount), Andy Warhol’s Tomato, The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Charlotte's Web (Young People’s Theatre of Chicago), Nana (Trapdoor), A Christmas Carol (Metropolis PAC). Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure (Hoosier Shakespeare). Proudly represented by DDO Artist Agency Chicago. Beckdamron.com

JEANNE DWAN (Myra) is thrilled to make her MadKap debut, and return to theatre, as Myra in Deathtrap. She began her career as an ingenue in the 80's and now looks forward to playing more mature roles. A member of SAG/AFTRA she is represented by Big Mouth Talent. Jeanne wants to thank her amazing family, her husband David and their three children, Taylor, Logan and Ellie, for always being the laughter and joy.

AIDAN STERNBERG (Porter) is excited to make his MadKap debut with Deathtrap. Other recent works Aidan has been a part of Include A New Brain (Pride Arts) , Annie, and Sweeney Todd (American Gothic) Aidan is also a recent graduate with his BFA from the University Of Wisconsin Stevens point.

MICHAEL LOMENICK (Sydney) is delighted to make his first appearance with MadKap productions in this dream role. He most recently appeared as Alfred P. Doolittle, in Finch Theatrics’ inaugural production, My Fair Lady; F in Open Space Arts’ Cock (winner, Jeff Award for Best Short Run Production) and Williams Street Rep’s production of Native Gardens as Frank. Michael has worked at The Goodman, The Organic, Victory Gardens, Zebra Crossing, Fourth Wall Productions, Borealis Productions, Genesis Productions, Oil Lamp, Edge of the Wood, Artemisia, Sideshow Theater Co, iO Chicago, and Theater on the Lake. A proud member of SAG/AFTRA, Michael studied at The University of Oklahoma, The Theater School, DePaul, iO Chicago and received his MFA in performance from Roosevelt University. Michael is an ensemble member with Inkwell Productions and is represented by HD Talent Group and Professionally Pretty. Watch for me in season 3, episode 3 of the NetFlix series, Monsters, and follow me on Instagram: compsheet.lomenick

BEKA (Helga Ten Dorp) has made her creative home in the Indie Film world the past 15 years. She has produced two film shorts of her own -- one garnering many awards on the film festival circuit, including 5 best actress awards world wide; and one just finishing a private premiere and is heading to Festivals. She welcomes inhabiting the quirky Helga on stage after a 7 year stage hiatus and thanks MadKap for making her performance world come full circle!

Staff Biographies

CHRISTA RETKA (Director) is a Chicago based stage director and intimacy director, and she is so excited to be making her Skokie directing debut! She received her BA in Theatre Directing and Management from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her recent credits include: intimacy director for Pippin, Hair, Romeo and Bernadette (MadKap Productions), At the Table (Oakton College), Tick, Tick…BOOM!, The Bridges of Madison County, Talley's Folly, (Dunes Summer Theatre) Grease, Xanadu, The Addams Family (Metropolis Performing Arts Center). She would like to give her friends and family a special thanks for all their support. To view more of her work, visit her website at www.christaretka.com.

BRIAN PLOCHARCZYK (Violence Design) has been staging violence on stage and screen since 2005. He spent 10 years choreographing fights and violence for Stage Left Theatre, and has designed for Metropolis, First Folio, City Lit, Blank, Profiles, Oakton College, Hope College, Bolingbrook High School, The Performers School, and more. His fight design was recently featured in the resurrection of Fight Night! at Factory Theatre. Brian has also designed violence for the films, Christian, GrayBeard, And A Violent Flammable World. When not pursuing his Violence design, Brian is an actor and adjunct faculty member at Columbia College Chicago(voiceover), The Acting Studio Chicago(Voiceover and On Camera), and teaches Shotokan karate as well. Check out www.brianplo.com for more info.

BRIAN WASSERMAN (Set Designer) is a Chicago based scenic designer. He is thankful for this opportunity to work with Madkap theatre. When he isn’t designing shows he can be found building or painting for other theatre companies. BFA: Lindenwood University. To look at more of his work visit www.brianwassermandesign.com.

WENDY KAPLAN (Producer/Costume Designer) is a founding member of MadKap Productions and the owner of the Skokie Theatre, and has produced every show since the innaugural Clutter: The True Story of the Colyer Brothers Who Never Threw Anything Out; including the national tour of Side Effects May Include, which raised money in support of Shaking with Laughter and the Michael J. Fox Foundation, through this seasons’s South Pacific. A former “Broadway Brat, ” she began her career as a gopher on Broadway for such productions as Lost in the Stars and the Leonard Bernstein Mass. Locally, Wendy was the Managing Director of Stage Two Theatre Company, and produced for Citadel Theater, NorthShore Theater of Wilmette and Footlighters in Des Plaines. Wendy strives to create a communal family of theatre lovers, both on the stage and off.

PAT HENDERSON (Lighting Designer) is a Director and Technical/ Lighting Designer for professional theatres throughout Chicago. Most recently Pat directed PIPPIN and SOUTH PACIFIC at Skokie Theatre for MadKap Productions, AN ACT OF GOD for Williams Streep Rep and STEEL MAGNOLIAS for Steel Beam Theatre. Pat has directed and designed 50+ productions during the past 7 years. Pat recently taught Performing Arts at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School and previously taught, directed and designed for Trinity High School.

PAIGE KLOPFENSTEIN (Intimacy Director) Recent Chicago Intimacy direction includes Constellations (Atheneum), Drunk Dracula (Drunk Shakespeare Chicago), and Rocky Horror (BrightSide Theatre). Intimacy training through IDC. MFA from FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Love and thanks to the Home Team.

SPENCER HARRIGAN they/them (Wardrobe Supervisor) is a recent graduate of DePaul University where they received a BFA in Costume Design. Recent credits include 'Left Unheard' (Costume Designer) and ' Lysistrata' (Costume Designer) at DePaul University. Instagram: @spencerharrigan & Website: https://spencerharrigan.wixsite.com/spencerharrigan

WAYNE MELL (Production Manager) is a founding member of MadKap Productions. He has enjoyed a multi-faceted carrer in theatre which has included directing, acting, set design, lighting design, costume design, and every front-of-house job there is. He has directed many times for MadKap including our productions of A Chorus Line, 1776, Neil Simon’s Rumors, Cooking With Bubbie, and most recently On Golden Pond. He has a degree in theatre from Northern Illinois University, where he was awarded a talented student scholarship, and has also studied at the Victory Gardens and the Second City. He would like to thank you, the audience, for keeping live entertainment a reality in our community, and his family for always keeping a light on for him at home. Wayne is looking forward to directing A Streetcar Named Desire which is the final show of MadKap’s 2025-26 season and opens on March 27, 2026.

Michael Lomenick

Michael Lomenick and Jeanne Dwan

Beck Damron

BEKA

Aidan Sternberg and BEKA

production photos by Laine Rogers

please help us thank our friends at City Lit