A podcast dedicated to all things theater and family in Deerfield, IL. Learn more about this year’s show at https://www.deerfieldtheater.com. Buy tickets here: https://deerfieldtheater.ludus.com/.
deerfieldtheater.substack.com (https://deerfieldtheater.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Murder on the Orient Express, Meet the Dramaturg: Peter Forster
Peter Forster is a South Africa-raised theater scholar with degrees in dramatic literature, directing, and screenwriting who serves as the dramaturg for Deerfield Theater's production of Murder on the Orient Express. He describes the dramaturg's role as providing literary and historical context, standing "behind the people who stand behind the scenes." For this production, he created research documents covering the 1934 political climate in Europe, background on each character's country of origin, a timeline of Agatha Christie's life and writing career, and inspiration sources such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and a real-life Orient Express snowdrift incident. He characterizes his involvement as largely supplementary and non-intrusive, noting the production team has been "wonderfully independent," while he made himself available and offered recommendations on pre- and post-show music. Peter enthusiastically praises the adaptation's bold tonal choices and the way it deviates from the novel, arguing that audiences who know the story will find it fascinating precisely because it is different, and that Christie's themes of human depravity in enclosed spaces feel remarkably relevant to today's political climate.
Performances at Caruso Auditorium, 1801 Montgomery Rd., Deerfield on:
* Thursday, April 9 at 7:30pm
* Fridays, April 3 and 10 at 7:30pm
* Saturdays, April 4 and 11 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
* Sunday, April 12 at 2:00pm
Deerfield Theater (https://deerfieldtheater.com/)
Purchase Tickets (https://deerfieldtheater.ludus.com/)
We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make our upcoming shows a success! Whether you want to greet guests, paint sets, or help backstage, your time and energy make a huge difference. Please take a moment to let us know how you’d like to be involved. Click the “Start Survey” button below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deerfieldtheater.substack.com (https://deerfieldtheater.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
23 Mar 2026
Murder on the Orient Express, Meet the Cast: Julia Helmer
Julia Helmer is a Buffalo Grove-based community theater enthusiast who grew up in Deerfield and is playing Greta Ohlsson, a Swedish missionary and composite character, in Deerfield Theater's production of Murder on the Orient Express. A self-described theater kid since seventh grade, she took a decade-long break from performing while living in Chicago before returning to community theater in 2018. For this role, she's been mastering a Swedish accent, read the Agatha Christie novel (as an audiobook), and watched the 2017 film to compare interpretations, noting that the play uniquely adds humor and levity to the otherwise dark mystery. She is so excited about the show's balance of comedy and suspense. Julia credits her theater background, including improv training, with making her effective in sales and client-facing situations for her work.
Performances at Caruso Auditorium, 1801 Montgomery Rd., Deerfield on:
* Thursday, April 9 at 7:30pm
* Fridays, April 3 and 10 at 7:30pm
* Saturdays, April 4 and 11 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
* Sunday, April 12 at 2:00pm
Deerfield Theater (https://deerfieldtheater.com/)
Purchase Tickets (https://deerfieldtheater.ludus.com/)
We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make our upcoming shows a success! Whether you want to greet guests, paint sets, or help backstage, your time and energy make a huge difference. Please take a moment to let us know how you’d like to be involved. Click the “Start Survey” button below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deerfieldtheater.substack.com (https://deerfieldtheater.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
20 Mar 2026
Murder on the Orient Express, Meet the Cast: Brian Parry
Brian Parry is a veteran Chicago-area actor with several decades of experience, currently retired but staying active in the performing arts through his long-standing membership with Redtwist Theater on the city's north side. He was drawn to play Hercule Poirot in Deerfield Theater's production of Murder on the Orient Express because it represented a rare, bucket-list opportunity, a role he felt uniquely suited for given his naturally deep, distinctive voice and age. Brian shared highlights from his career, including standout performances as Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman, Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon (which moved a Watergate attorney to sympathize with Nixon), and his role in The Cripple of Inishmaan. He also recalled the joy of watching his young son perform in Les Misérables on Broadway. He expressed optimism about live theater's future in the face of AI, arguing that the irreplaceable human tension of a live performance — the possibility that something could go wrong — is something no AI can replicate.
Performances at Caruso Auditorium, 1801 Montgomery Rd., Deerfield on:
* Thursday, April 9 at 7:30pm
* Fridays, April 3 and 10 at 7:30pm
* Saturdays, April 4 and 11 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm
* Sunday, April 12 at 2:00pm
Deerfield Theater (https://deerfieldtheater.com/)
Purchase Tickets (https://deerfieldtheater.ludus.com/)
We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make our upcoming shows a success! Whether you want to greet guests, paint sets, or help backstage, your time and energy make a huge difference. Please take a moment to let us know how you’d like to be involved. Click the “Start Survey” button below.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit deerfieldtheater.substack.com (https://deerfieldtheater.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
68
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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