SWITZERLAND
Somewhere in the Swiss Alps, grande dame of crime literature Patricia Highsmith lives with an impressive collection of books, and a somewhat sinister collection of guns and knives. She finds solace in her solitude, her cats, and cigarettes. But when a mysterious international visitor arrives at her perfectly secluded home, her love of fictional murders becomes a dangerous reality.
Written by Joanna Murray-Smith. Directed by Billy Buff.
Setting
Patricia Highsmith’s modest bungalow in Tegna, Switzerland. Fall 1994
Act One – Early Morning
Fifteen-minute intermission
Act Two – The Next Day. Late Afternoon
Act Three – Early Morning the Following Day
from the director
WHO IS PATRICIA HIGHSMITH?
Patricia Highsmith may be the one of the greatest writers of the 20th century that most people may have never heard of. In a series of novels beginning with The Talented Mr. Ripley, Highsmith released into the world her favorite creation, the charming conman and murderer Tom Ripley. Through Ripley, Highsmith explored the dark side of the American dream: ambition un-tempered by morality, the credo of self-invention taken to murderous extremes.
Patricia Highsmith was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1921, a few days after her parents divorced. Her childhood was dark and sad; she was considered prickly and at times bizarre (one famous story concerns the time she brought a large purse containing a head of lettuce and 100 snails as her “companions” to a cocktail party). Many were turned off by her; however, she managed to have numerous romantic relationships with both men and women. But her greatest love was her greatest creation.
Tom Ripley was born in 1954 in the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley (1957) and starred in four more novels, the last of which, Ripley Under Water, was published in 1991. Tom Ripley was a new type of American, a seemingly likable young man with a violent, psychopathic heart. Producing the novel in a fevered rush in 1954, Highsmith would later recall how “It felt like Ripley was writing it”.
Tom Ripley is a likable sort of fellow, setting aside the fact that he murders his best friend and then goes about Europe impersonating him. In his review of Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), Rene Clement's 1960 adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, film critic Roger Ebert commented that “Highsmith seduces us into identifying with him (Ripley) and sharing his selfishness; Ripley believes that getting his own way is worth whatever price anyone else might have to pay. We all have a little of that in us." Gillian Flynn, the author of Sharp Objects and Gone Girl, has cited Highsmith's famous style and the enduring charm of Tom Ripley as a major influence on her own writing.
Highsmith moved to Europe in 1963. In later years, she lived in Italy, France, and finally settled in Switzerland. She lived alone, except for her many cats and snails, constantly criticizing Americans of being too provincial and not understanding the rest of the world. She died in February 1995 at age 74 in Switzerland of unknown cause. Her only visitor, the day before she died, was her accountant.
About the Director
Billy Buff has been involved with Pensacola Little Theatre since he was a teenager in the 1980s. He graduated from the University of West Florida with both a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education. He studied directing at The University of Mississippi under Scott McCoy. He has performed in numerous shows including Boeing, Boeing and The Odd Couple and directed both musicals and non-musicals including The Wedding Singer, The End of Jack Cruz, and The 39 Steps (codirected with Barbara Jacobs). He is currently a theater educator at Jim C. Bailey Middle School.
crew
Director - Billy Buff
Assistant Director - Lisa Goodness
Stage Manager - Choh Man Teng
Lighting Designer - Choh Man Teng
Costume Designer - Sue Sue Sherrill
Backstage Crew - Tracy Aaker
Set Construction and Painting - Kayla Stephenson, Choh Man Teng, Addie Boyd-Quina
Production Coordinator - Silvia Switzer
PLT Artistic Director - Kathy Holsworth
PLT Technical Director - Kayla Stephenson
cast
Barbara Jacobs
As Patricia Highsmith
Barbara enjoys playing various capacities at Pensacola Little Theatre. She most loves getting to act and has been most recently seen on our stage in Little Women; Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. She also directs and counts The 39 Steps and Wonder of the World among her favorite directorial credits.
kyle Golden
as Edward Ridgeway
Kyle Golden is an active member of the acting community in Pensacola. He graduated in 2013 from The University of West Florida with his Bachelor’s degree in Theatre. He currently serves on the Artistic Committee and the Studio 400 committee at PLT and has been a long standing member of Improvable Cause. Kyle was last seen on stage in Every Brilliant Thing produced by Penarts and MacBeth produced by Arrant Knavery. Kyle’s most recent performance on the PLT stage was in The 39 Steps. He has worked around the country with such companies as The Hampstead Stage Company, The Camden Shakespeare Festival and the Riverside Theatre in Iowa. Kyle has also been teaching adult acting classes with PLT since fall of 2018.
SPECIAL THANKS
Silvia and John Switzer
Chris Jadallah and the team at Calliope Films
SWITZERLAND is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc. New York.
up next at plt
Junie B. Jones, First-Grader, is super-excited about the upcoming Holiday Sing-Along and Secret Santa gift exchange at her school. Too bad tattletale May keeps ruining all of Junie B.'s fun. So when Junie B. draws May's name for Secret Santa, she comes up with the perfect plan to teach her nemesis a lesson! But will the Christmas spirit of peace and goodwill interfere before she can give you-know-who what she deserves? A hilarious and endearing tale based on the best-selling book series by Barbara Park.
Written by Allison Gregory. Directed by Mindy Iverson.
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