Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Theatre, gardening make the perfect backdrop for murder: Julia Henry

 

HALLIE EPHRON: I first met Julie Hennrikus years ago back when she was working behind the scenes in the Boston theater world. She's a theater insider who know theater from the business side. She, as we say here in Boston, is wicked smaht - and was the person who convinced me that social media was the real deal, and worthy of an author's time. (Thank you, Julie!)

She's still got one foot firmly planted in theater, but lucky for us, she's a very successful (thank you very much!) author of MANY books, writing as Julianne Holmes, J. A. Hennrikus, and Julia Henry.

Today we're celebrating the publication of her brand new #4 Garden Squad mystery: Wreathing Havoc. As a huge theatre fan, I was particularly intrigued to discover that this new book has a performing arts element.


JULIA HENRY/JULIE HENNRIKUS:
First of all, thank you to the Jungle Reds for having me on the blog today! I’m so pleased to celebrate the release of Wreathing Havoc with you and your wonderful readers.

Wreathing Havoc is the fourth book in my Garden Squad series. It takes place in late November/early December, about six months after the first book in the series, Pruning the Dead. Since the series centers on gardening, a Thanksgiving book was going to be a tough fit. But I got creative in my garden plotting, adding wreath making and garden sculpture contests to the story. I also added fall fertilizing to Lilly’s agenda. It ends up, there are a lot of gardening opportunities in the fall.

A Thanksgiving book also gave me another opportunity--to add some theater to the mix. As a subplot, the Goosebush Theatre is producing a series of play readings, each featuring a renowned playwright's take on A Christmas Carol.

Why A Christmas Carol? First of all, everyone knows the story, so readers understand the story and will “get” the inside jokes about the changes the playwrights make. Secondly, so many theaters do A Christmas Carol that it makes sense that the theater company in Goosebush would as well. Lastly, it’s one of my favorite stories with themes that play well in the book.


Theater, in my opinion, is the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. There’s a range of characters, both on stage and off. Emotions, tension and drama are part of the process. Because “the show must go on” is a truth, not an attempt at meeting a deadline, timelines are condensed and focussed. Shortcuts are made, feelings are hurt, and relationships are either strengthened or broken. A theater production is contained chaos, which makes for a great mystery setting.

There are over four hundred community theaters in New England, and they play an important role in the cultural life of many communities. The lovely part of theaters is that people stay involved for years and years, so the past plays into the present in interesting ways. Wreathing Havoc has now famous actors who got their start in Goosebush coming back with disastrous results.

In the Garden Squad series, Lilly Jayne’s friend Ernie is a community theater actor in town. While Lilly is a theater goer, she’s not a rabid fan. In fact, she lives in fear of having to tell Ernie that the play readings were good when they weren’t, especially since he’s taken over the role of producing them. What will she say? A friend of mine called it “humming the set”. When you don’t have anything nice to say about a play or performance, praise the set. With a play reading there’s no set, so there’s little wonder that Lilly’s nervous.

Mashing up theater and gardening--who knew it would be so much fun?

Readers, are you a theater fan? How would you enjoy a series of new versions of A Christmas Carol?

Julia Henry writes the Garden Squad series for Kensington. Wreathing Havoc is the fourth book in the series. She blogs with the Wicked Authors.

54 comments:

  1. Oh, my goodness . . . . Congratulations, Julia, on your newest book . . . it sounds absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to read it.

    Yes, yes, yes . . . theater fan here, and, yes, I’d love having a series of new versions of “A Christmas Carol” . . . .

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    1. It does seem like one of those infinitely malleable stories... and a big plus, in the public domain. Like the Wizard of Oz or the Sherlock Holmes stories.

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    2. I love the story of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and it lends itself well to updates. Though the one in the book goes a little far...

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  2. I am jumping up and down with excitement for this one. I love that you got to bring your loves of theater and mystery together again! (And people should know your first two Theater Cop books are available - A Christmas Peril and With a Kiss I Die - written as JA Hennrikus.)

    There are definitely fall gardening chores. But I'll be able to take breaks from mine with your excellent book!

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    1. And on that topic... Julia, I hope you'll tell us about your own garden and how it's reflected (or not) in the series.

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    2. Thank you Edith! You've helped me with gardening tips all along. Hallie, alas, I'm condo living so it's windowsill gardening for now. I dream of having Lilly's gardens.

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  3. Julia, welcome to JRW and congratulations on your new book! I love the idea of a theater doing several readings of Christmas Carol. Hartford Stage has been producing its version for many years. We have subscribed to Hartford Stage for ages and more recently to Goodspeed Opera House. I love theater and am eager to start going again.

    Please tell us a little more about the Garden Squad. Since I always begin a series with book 1, I'll look for that one first.

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    1. Judy, I love both those theaters. My friend Melia Bensussen is the AD of Hartford Stage--I can't wait till she can fully fly in that role. The Garden Squad centers around Lilly Jayne, a woman in her mid 60's. She lost her husband a couple of years ago, and is starting to come back to life, and to work on her gardens again, when the series starts. She and her best friend Tamara, her friend Ernie and her housemate Delia decide to do some guerilla gardening around town, taking care of things that red tape has neglected. Along the way, they start solving murders. It's a fun series to write, and the group of friends add lots of story possibilities.

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  4. Julia, welcome! I've had your book on my list forever! Are you a gardener? And do tell us about your new job at Sisters in Crime (for which you're perfect, by the way!)

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    1. Thank you Lucy/Roberta! I'm really thrilled to be the new ED of Sisters in Crime, an organization that has made all the difference in my own writing life. I've been full time since May, and we're getting ready for the board transition this weekend. As for my gardens--I used to own a 1860's gardener's cottage and loved tending the gardens. Right now I'm in a condo, so window sill gardening. But the desire to get back to a garden of my own is strong.

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  5. Congratulations, Julie!

    We are definitely theater fans. Right before the pandemic, one of our local theaters was doing something very like this - readings. No set, no costumes, just the actors and a "script in progress." A couple of them were truly amazing.

    And I'm always interested to see new takes on classics (as long as they stay true to the spirit of the original), so sign me up for new versions of "A Christmas Carol."

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    1. I love going to readings, and seeing a play develop. Such an important part of theater--new work. I'm with you on A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

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  6. Help! Cannot download/view any of your images today, in email or online. My system says they are not secure. Is anyone else having this problem?

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  7. Congratulations on your new release! A Christmas Carol is a terrific story, well worth revisiting every year.

    I used to live in a small Ohio town which held its gardens in high esteem. I grew gorgeous "football corsage" mums from small slips and dried statice, lavender, and hydrangea blossoms for fall wreaths and dried flower arrangements.

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    1. "Hydrangea blossoms for fall wreaths" - that's something I'd like to learn about. Julia, does the "garden squad" ever get into drying flowers?

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    2. The wreaths that they make are for a library fundraiser--each is inspired by a book. Dried flowers are part of them--along with other things. Lilly's wreath is inspired by MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS--you can only imagine.

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    3. I love mums in the fall--such bursts of color are such a gift. I love fall wreaths--I cut hydrangeas every year (from my parents' house) and use them in a variety of different ways. One of my favorites--lovely in all phases.

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  8. It am glad to know about this new Garden Squad book - congratulations! I agree so much that theater and mystery go together like peanut butter and jam and am glad to know a production of A Christmas Carol is central in this story.

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  9. I wonder, Julia, when you went to warp A CHRISTMAS CAROL, did you feel there were element(s) that had to be preserved and what could be bent to serve your mystery?

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    1. I think that A CHRISTMAS CAROL, the original, is much darker than most versions show. Dickens explored poverty over and over, and CC highlights the magic of the season, but also what the Scrooges of the world were doing by neglecting their moral duty. The version in the book goes a bit far in those dark tones, but a playwright could explore them right now with lots of fodder. Another element of A CHRISTMAS CAROL is that it's a way for theater companies to get audiences in--which is why so many companies have it on their season. So including it was also a nod to that.

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  10. Oh, this is wonderful! And it sounds terrific. And I am laughing and laughing about “humming the set.” That is such a gem of insider info.
    I love a Christmas Carol, and I cry every time. I am very very fond of the movie The Man Who Invented Christmas— The story of how Dickens wrote that book. It’s great, a very writerly movie, and I highly highly recommend it.
    Now I am trying to think how you could rift on the story as a playwright. Tiny Tim is a little girl? Scrooge is a woman? Oh, wait, that’s a good idea! Has anyone done that yet? I have dibs. Oh, there are lots of things you could do! Honestly, you truly have any thinking, Julie!
    And thank you so much for all you do for sisters in crime! You are astonishing

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    1. Thank you, Hank! There's a TV version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Cicely Tyson, and also fun versions with Tori Spelling and Vanessa Williams. The story has SO MANY possibilities. I second the recommendation of THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS. A true delight.

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    2. riff, riff, not rift. Dictation. Argh. xxx

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  11. Julie, I'm so happy for your writing success! It doesn't seem that long ago your first clock shop book came out.

    I would go to all the plays if my husband would go with me. His deafness in one ear has always kept him from enjoying most live entertainment. It seems like a really long time since I've been able to see a play, so living vicariously through a novel sounds perfect right now!

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    1. Thank you Karen! It's been a 5 year journey--can you believe it? Some theaters have assitive listening devices which can be very helpful for in person. I'm also enjoying some of the streaming versions this year.

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    2. Karen, look into those devices in your nearby theaters. The technology is becoming more available every year.

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    3. Thanks for the suggestion, Julie and Judy!

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  12. How have I missed the Garden Squad? Add in theater and I'm all in! Theater geek from my junior high days--would direct plays from our Scholastic Magazine. New takes on classics are fine with me--as Liz noted above, as long as they stay true to the spirit of the tale.

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    1. Theater geeks are the best--I was one as well though I didn't discover theater until my senior year of high school. I made up for lost time in college. I love that you directed plays from Scholastic.

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  13. Oh, can't wait. Making wreaths is such a big deal here in New England. So is the tradition of A Christmas Carol and a Victorian Christmas. Love that you have married the two. Can't wait to read the book.

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    1. Thank you so much, Kait! Wreath making is a thing, isn't it?

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  14. Julie, how have I missed these books? I love the whole concept of the Garden Squad--guerilla gardening! And I'm always happy to read (or see) another version of A Christmas Carol. I agree that the Dickens story is much darker than it is usually portrayed on stage or screen so good fodder for updating. I'm off to check out Lilly and her crew!

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    1. Thank you so much! And yes, I think we could use a current day update of A CHRISTMAS CAROL with a Dickensian lens.

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  15. Julie, if you want to branch out from your windowsill pots, I have three acres here in southern Maine and am desperate for a talented gardener (or three) to come here and let me know what to do. You're welcome at any time!

    As for theater, as a former actress, etc. myself, it make perfect sense to have it as a site for a murder. In fact, with all the pressure and personalities involved, I'm surprised there aren't MORE mysteries set around productions.

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    1. Julia, perhaps a site visit is in order. And I so agree--theater (or the performing arts) are ripe with opportunity!

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  16. I love theater but I haven't been in years. I'm not sure why. I think when we were going through a series of deaths of older family members I started "nesting" and didn't want to make the effort of getting out and doing things again. And then the pandemic. But, I love reading mysteries with gardening and theater combined! As for A Christmas Carol, I love watching the old movie productions of the 30s and 40s. But then again I loved Bill Murray's version, Scrooged!

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    1. There are so many great versions, but some of my favorite come from that era. Alistair Sim's version was wonderful.

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  17. And updated A Christmas Carol is intriguing, but I do love the old classic versions of it. Congratulations on the new book!

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  18. Hi, Julie! I love this series! Huge theater fan here and am so happy to see productions coming back! I open to any interpretation of A Christmas Carol and can’t wait to dive in to your book - perfect timing!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn! We theater fans need to get together the next time we can and discuss how to mash up these worlds. Dame Agatha adapted her own books as plays. Just saying...

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  19. I'm a huge theater fan, so I enjoyed that element of this book. Not so sure I would enjoy seeing these alternative takes on A Christmas Carol, however. Guess I'm too much of a traditionalist.

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    1. I hear you. I've enjoyed some I've seen. The ones I made up--not so much.

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  20. Congratulations on the new book. Like several others, I'm not sure how I have missed this series until now.

    My husband and I are both big theater fans, though in recent years we don't get to the theater nearly as often as I would like. When Bob and I met, he was serving as President of the Ohio Community Theater Association, and perhaps that gave me greater insight into the value of community theater. That organization holds an annual conference where select groups perform excerpts of the plays they have staged in the past year, and the quality of those excerpts is sometimes breathtaking. It made me happy to see the respect with which you mentioned community theater, because I sometimes see it treated dismissively, as though community theater was just egotistical amateurs playing dress-up. Most of the time, it reflects dedicated, talented volunteers working very hard to produce quality productions while juggling a day job.

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    1. Community theater is a huge part of the theater world. Some artists get their starts there, because they are given the opportunity to learn. I also know some extremely talented people who made other professional choices so that they use their talent in community theaters. I'm a big fan, as you might be able to tell.

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  21. JULIA,

    Congratulations on the new novel! Yes, I am a big fan of the theater ever since I watched a performance by the NATIONAL THEATER OF THE DEAF when I was a young child. The famous actress ANNE BANCROFT encouraged her Deaf sign language tutor, who was also an actor, to establish a theater with Deaf actors and she introduced him to her friend, David Hays, who was a set designer. Her Deaf tutor was Bernard Bragg, who also studied Mime with Marcel Marceau in France.

    Ideally, I would love to see A Christmas Carol that is accessible. There was a theater in San Francisco that USED to provide Sign Language translators for A Christmas Carol and they stopped years before the pandemic claiming that they could not afford it. Ironically they had the money for TV ads trying to get people to come to the theater.

    Diana

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    1. Diana,
      Quite by accident I once attended a production of the musical BIG RIVER that was presented concurrently for hearing and non-hearing audience. It was magical!!! Once of my favorite theater experiences of all time!

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    2. Susan,

      We were fortunate to get the chance to see BIG RIVER on stage. One of the actors is now in the movie CODA. I agree that it was magical! Thank you for sharing your memory.

      Diana

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    3. Diana, when I worked for a service organization called StageSource here in New England accessibility was a huge conversation. One which didn't have many great outcomes, though there were a few. I know some very, very talented Deaf actors who don't get the opportunity to perform. And have shadow signers on stage during a performance--integrating it into the performance instead of having them off to the side--is magic. There's so much work to do, and this is one area where there enough talented actors, designer and administrators to get it done. Yes, it needs funding. It all needs funding. An accessible CHRISTMAS CAROL would be an amazing production.

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    4. J.A., thank you for sharing your experiences. That is wonderful when there is access.

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