Family, Fugitives, and ... Hostages: Pentacle Theatre Plans for Its Upcoming Holiday Show
- Jennifer Halley
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
Family comes first.
That’s the premise behind Pentacle Theatre’s upcoming show, “In-laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should Be Shot).” And it’s why director Karen McCarty was drawn to the script.
“I love the way that the family comes together in the show and supports each other throughout the evening,” McCarty said.
“In-laws, Outlaws and Other People (That Should Be Shot),” written by Steve Franco in 2010, is set in Brooklyn’s high-end Fiske Terrace neighborhood. On Christmas Eve, as a family comes together for their annual holiday gathering, two fugitives on the run from the police are in need of a hideout after robbing a liquor store. Relatives and neighbors continue showing up to this house, not knowing it and everyone inside it is being held hostage while the two men try and figure out what to do.
“It’s not a scary show, it’s definitely a comedy,” McCarty said. She compared it to the Christmas classic, “Home Alone.” “[The fugitives] are not the brightest crayons in the box, and they’re not out to hurt anyone. It’s really funny.”
The show, one of seven that the theatre runs every year, will run from November 21 through December 13, with evening and matinee showings to choose from. Tickets start at $24.
McCarty thinks people will have fun watching this show come to life.
“There are some surprises. It definitely has a surprise ending, and there are some other surprising relationship-building scenes throughout the show that are very fun to watch.”
The cast, which consists of 15 actors playing ages eight to 87, and the crew have been in production since September 8th, working hard to give this show the depth it deserves.
Since the show is set in such a specific place – Fiske Terrace is an old neighborhood with sprawling lawns and big, beautiful homes – McCarty made sure to do her research by looking up real estate ads and googling images of what the area looks like.
“So the set should be really beautiful,” she said.
To help her actors get into character, she said she had each one provide a backstory for his or her character. It’s an exercise she requires each actor partake in for every show she directs.
“It helps you know who you are when you are on stage, and it helps us to understand the characters on a deeper level.”
Like one of her youngest actors, who plays an eight-year-old, “She came up with a backstory about her relationship with her on-stage brother,” McCarty said. “We were all so impressed.”
In addition to the set of actors at the forefront, some crew members will be answering the call for background acting.
“My stage manager, my assistant stage manager, and my hair dresser are all going to have cameo appearances in the show as Christmas carolers,” McCarty said, laughing.
The concept of ‘family first’ is a thread that McCarty says ties the community of Pentacle Theatre together. It’s been her second family since 1999, the first time she saw a show there.
“You’re engulfed in this family of friends that support you. It’s one big family. It’s really amazing.”
Since then, she’s held various positions within the theatre, eventually finding her way onto set as a costume designer.
“I love to sew, I’ve been a seamstress my whole life, so I talked to one of the directors and said, ‘hey, I was wondering if you’d need help with costumes, because I’d like to get into that. And someday, I would also like to be a director.’” So she took me under her wing and made me her assistant director.”
That was in 2008. In 2011, she was selected to direct “Educating Rita,” a two-character show.
“I thought, oh, this only has two actors, this should be easy,’” McCarty said. “But I soon realized that that’s actually more difficult, because there are only two people to memorize all the lines of the show.”
She’s gone on to direct eight shows, with anywhere from two actors to fifty actors and countless crew members.
Set just minutes outside of downtown Salem, the theatre’s two-story wooden structure – built wholly by volunteers – is surrounded by trees and greenery, offering play-goers a serene atmosphere. Inside, the seating areas surround the stage in a circular pattern, giving the audience the illusion that they’re involved in the action as it’s happening. There are just under 200 seats.
“So it’s a very intimate setting,” McCarty said.
And it’s that setting that helps what the theatre aims to offer.
“It’s about providing our community with an evening of enjoyment, whether you’re laughing or crying or something in between. It gives people an opportunity to step away from life and to relate to what’s going on on the stage, and just have a good time.”
Pentacle Theatre
503-485-4300
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