Seeing stars

Chris Della Rocco

January 02, 2007 07:49 am

— From cornfields to the center stage, one Greensburg native will star in an upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery “Ten Little Indians” at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis.
J.R. Stuart, a 1981 graduate of South Decatur High School, will star as Rogers in the play and has been performing as a character actor in front of crowds since the age of 15.
“I was involved in the drama program at South from 1979 until I graduated in ‘81,” Stuart said. “It was a very important time in my life because it helped me determine what I wanted to do.”
This is a new role for Stuart, who has been a resident actor at the Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville since 1990. Stuart has also performed in the national tours of Brigadoon, Chicago and Gigi. In all, he has performed in more than 200 productions.
“I grew up watching my uncle perform at South Decatur,” he said. “It was great watching him, and I wanted to do the same thing. My first performance was Rip Van Wrinkle in Jackson Elementary School before it was torn down. I was six or seven at the time.”
Now, Stuart has performed across the United States and Canada in the national tours of Brigadoon (Beaton), Chicago (Amos "Mr. Cellophane" Hart), and Gigi (as Honore "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" Lachailles) for 3DII International.
A graduate of Ball State University (BS Theatre Performance, 1987), J.R. enjoys the study of film comedy, particularly Laurel & Hardy, Bert Lahr, Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields and the Marx Brothers.
“I actually went to college to be a school teacher,” Stuart said. “Then I started to become active in the drama club at Ball State and ended up changing my major to Theatre. I have done some substitute teaching in between acting gigs.”
Stuart has also recently co-authored two musicals, “Peace in the Valley” and “Peace like a River,” with Jim Hesselman. “Peace in the Valley” had a very successful eight-week run at the Playhouse and has been performed in seven other venues throughout the country. Its sequel, “Peace like a River,” recently debuted at The Barn Dinner Theatre in North Carolina, and had a seven-week run at Derby Dinner.
“The Ten Little Indians,” also known as "And Then There Were None", is a thrilling mystery which explores true human nature and the side people don’t reveal. Adapted for both cinema and television movies, this "who-done-it" builds suspense with many twists as the plot unfolds. It has 40 scheduled performances in the intimate setting provided by Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Evening performances are offered Tuesday through Sunday, with matinees on Wednesdays and Sundays. Tickets range from $32.50 to $52.50, with discounts available for children ages 3-15. Group discounts are also available. For tickets, call the box office, 317/872-9664. For more information, visit www.beefandboards.com.

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