Simpson College Productions will present Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Old Maid and the Thief” Feb. 20-22 at the Blank Performing Arts Center. 

The opera was originally commissioned for radio in 1939 and takes the audience through a comical journey of deception, gossip and drama in a quiet American town. “The Old Maid and the Thief” navigates the lives of Miss Todd and her housemaid Laetitia as they board a charming wanderer – and pure chaos ensues. 

The production is directed by Ann Woldt, and she is joined by Damon Stevens as the music director.

“We are excited to present this as Menotti originally intended—a ‘radio opera’—complete with live sound effects and 1940s-style. Audiences will love the twisted tale of Miss Todd, her clever maid Laetitia and the charming drifter, Bob, who turns their quiet lives into chaos,” Woldt said in a press release.

Jasper McGrath has been involved with Simpson Productions since she was a first-year, and she plays the role of Miss Todd in the upcoming show.

“I quite like how Miss Todd is a comedic character; she really is just a woman with an empty existence who ‘longs for a man’. And yes, that is part of her actual description,” McGrath said. 

McGrath conveyed her excitement for the audience to see the show and all of the unexpected twists and turns that happen at a moment’s notice.

“It’s quite the rollercoaster. Each scene holds something completely new, and there never is a dull moment with this opera,” McGrath said.

Max Wearmouth has been involved in Simpson Productions for three and a half years, and he plays the role of Bob and the actor Robert Weed in the show. Wearmouth expressed his appreciation for the character’s personality and the similarities it bears to his own. 

“He’s fun to sing, and the story around him is just incredibly funny. The entire process has been really goofy,” Wearmouth said. “It’s fun to play him and the actor. The actor is similar to how I am, he’s friends with everybody and kind of goofy.”

Wearmouth expressed his excitement for the audience to see the unique set and design aspects of the show.

“ I think it’s very interesting how we’re in a recording studio, and we have foley artists on the side making noises, making steps with their hands and shoes and stuff like that,” Wearmouth said. “ I am excited for people to see the set design and the costume design because we have amazing costumes for this show.”

Performances of “The Old Maid and the Thief” will take place in Barnum Studio Theatre in Blank Performance Art Center, and the show is roughly an hour and a half in length. Show times are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 21 and 2:00 p.m. on Feb. 22.

Tickets are available for purchase online, at the door or by contacting the Simpson College Theatre Box Office at 515-961-1601 or [email protected].