The Town Players of Newtown will close their 2019 season with Prescription: Murder, A Columbo Mystery. Board member Michele Leigh is directing and is reportedly thrilled to be honoring her childhood hero.

Providing the inspiration for the television series Columbo, the theatrical predecessor Prescription: Murder tells the story of a brilliant psychiatrist and his mistress who hatch a plot to murder his neurotic, possessive wife. The execution of their plan and the creation for their perfect alibi depends on a bizarre impersonation.

Lieutenant Columbo enters the picture in his deceptively bumbling way to match wits with the criminal in a classic game of a cat-and-mouse.

Written by William Link and Richard Levinson, Columbo popularized the inverted detective story format. The Columbo stories begin by showing the commission of the crime and its perpetrator; the plot, therefore, usually has no “whodunit” element and instead revolves around how a perpetrator, known to the audience, will finally be caught and exposed, sometimes referred to as a “howcatchem.”

The Town Players production will feature Mark Rubino as Dr Flemming, A.M. Bhatt as Columbo, Nikki Yatsenick as Susan, Sheri Rak as Miss Petrie, Rachel Ames as Claire, and Joshua Adelson as Dave Gordon.

Roberto Perez is serving as producer, with Terry Polvay and Joy Harris as stage managers.

Performances will run weekends, November 15-December 7. Curtain will be Friday and Saturday evenings at 8, and Sundays, November 24 and December 1, at 2.

There is also a Thursday evening performance planned for December 5, with an 8 pm curtain.

Director Michele Leigh has watched all 69 episodes of Columbo and is happy to discuss favorites and folklore. In fact, audiences will have two opportunities for a talkback with the director and cast immediately following each of the production’s Sunday matinees.

Tickets are $25 for Friday and Saturday evening performances, $20 for the Thursday night and Sunday afternoon matinees.

Town Players perform at The Little Theatre, 18 Orchard Hill Road in Newtown. For tickets and additional information, visit newtownplayers.org.