Event

The Tangled Skirt

Two strangers await the last bus out of town...

Actors Collaborative Toledo is proud to present "The Tangled Skirt" by Steve Braunstein--a steamy nod to classic "film noir." Directed by Barbara Barkan and featuring Kate Abu-Absi and John DuVall.

Breathless from running and staggered by a startling incident, Bailey Bryce dashes into a deserted bus depot in the dead of night desperately clutching a travel bag. He's glad to be alone; to think fast, to collect himself, to figure things out before it's too late. But he won't be alone for long. Enter Rhonda Claire, a stunning stranger tightly gripping her own travel bag and frantically looking over her shoulder. She's clearly unnerved by Bailey, harmless though he may appear. How can she trust anyone in this God-forsaken place? And sure enough, as both anxiously await the last bus out of town, for their very own different reasons, small talk turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse as both seek advantage, trapped in their own secrets and lies, to be the last one standing when that clunker of a bus finally pulls in. As sirens wail in the distance, Bailey becomes convinced that this woman to die for has committed a terrible crime. And Rhonda, cool as the steel of a pistol, suspects Bailey, so comically naïve at times, has done worse. As the bus barrels toward the station, Bailey and Rhonda, torn by passion and greed, must confront each other, and themselves, as fate closes in.

"Noir infused intrigue...steamy...deftly mannered...twists and turns. An elegant homage to the noir genre by Mr. Braunstein." - The New York Times

Nominee! Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award, Best Play.