My Fatal Valentine to show at WVU Parkersburg

by Sarah Weeks

An awards ceremony turns into a murder mystery when romance novelists sit before their fans hoping to be named the Romance Novelist of the Year and take home the Love-Not award as the night takes a turn for the worst. Written by Eileen Moushey, My Fatal Valentine takes murder mystery to a new level when authors writing about love are only hoping to take home a prestigious award, but instead are asking the question, “Who did it?”. The Actors Guild of Parkersburg is partnering with West Virginia University at Parkersburg in the hopes of producing a show stopping performance on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 in the Activities Center at WVU Parkersburg.

David Creel, the liaison for WVU Parkersburg, Brent Null from the Actors Guild of Parkersburg and Paula Oliverio, the director of the production and casting, have all teamed up together to create a production that is a collaboration between the Actors Guild of Parkersburg and WVU Parkersburg. The dinner theatre production is hoping to seat 80 “fans” both nights. “We would like to give the theatre program a spark of interest so it will become more active again,” Oliverio said. Students are being encouraged to get involved with the theatre program and are being offered one credit hour for participating and completing the production.

Oliverio hosted auditions for the production on Jan. 23 and is encouraging students to get involved. “If you are interested we will get you involved,” Oliverio said. Students who are contemplating getting involved should know that it does not require experience to be involved in the production. A place will be found for all students who inquire. Whether the interest is to be onstage or behind the scenes production, students are encouraged to participate.

With a mutual love for the arts, the Actors Guild of Parkersburg and the President of WVU Parkersburg, Dr. Chris Gilmer, hope to reinstate a passion for the arts and performing within the school. Prior to coming to WVU Parkersburg, Dr. Gilmer was very involved in the arts and hopes to bring that love to the school with him, such as his yearly theme: Seasons of Love. By being involved with this production, students will not only gain a college credit, but they will also be given the opportunity to find a passion and love for the arts in the company of many who support and share the same passion.

Inspiration, encouragement and dedication are perfect words to describe this team’s vision for the production of My Fatal Valentine. With only a few weeks before show time, Creel, Oliverio and Null are determined to find student actors with a hard work ethic and an audience who is ready for a great production.

Make sure to attend one of the two dinner theatre performances happening on Feb. 14 at or Feb. 15 in the Activities Center at WVU Parkersburg. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased from the Actors Guild of Parkersburg website. If students are interested in being involved in the production, contact Paula Oliverio at paulaoliverio@hotmail.com. Who will take home the Love-Not award as Romance Novelist of the Year? More importantly, who did it?