The Adobe Theater brings Agatha Christie classic 'Spider’s Web' to stage

Get caught in a web spun out of mystery and humor as “Spider’s Web” comes to The Adobe Theater.

Nancy Sellin, show director, said that this was her first time directing an Agatha Christie production and she was inspired to put on the show because of the audience’s love for Christie and its humor.

“When I read this and saw the humor, I thought, ‘Oh, goody, I’m always good for a cheap laugh,’” Sellin said. “So that’s why I enjoyed it so much. And I think it’s a good audience pleaser.”

“Spider’s Web” will be at The Adobe starting Friday, Oct. 17, and running through Nov. 9.

Kristine Padilla, who plays the lead, Clarissa, has worked on other Agatha Christie productions before, but said this one stood out because it was less emotionally heavy and intense.

“Agatha Christie, some of her other mystery works are really like heavy,” Padilla said. “But this one, it’s kind of a mix. There’s still a lot of funny stuff in it, and having that light-hearted energy to it makes it just more fun to dive into.”

She said her character Clarissa stands out from other female characters she has played.

“She really takes things into her own hands and she plays a big part of it,” Padilla said. “And that’s different than a lot of the ways that female characters are written in mysteries.”

Sellin said that the play focuses on Clarissa after she has found a dead body and she is trying to cover it up and find out who did it. However, because of Clarissa’s tendency to tell tall tales, no one believes her.

“So, she has to decide if real life is just as exciting as her imaginary world, but it’s very sweet,” Sellin said.

The show is talk heavy, Sellin said, and as she went through the process of directing, she focused on keeping the show moving.

Padilla said the audience will enjoy the dynamics between the characters. She said she gets “to be silly in a different way with everyone.”

“I think it’s going to be fun for audiences to have these moments where they can breathe and where they can laugh and they’re not just tense the whole time,” Padilla said.

The audience may have trouble guessing “who’s done it,” Sellin said, but there will be cards available for audiences to make guesses. She said that “Spider’s Web” is perfect not only for the intimacy of The Adobe but for October.

“I think the audiences are going to hopefully have a very entertaining two hours,” Sellin said.

The Adobe Theater brings Agatha Christie classic 'Spider’s Web' to stage