From longtime Mystery Theatre writer Butch Maxwell comes a character-driven drama about identity, performance, and the roles we live
WHEELING, W.V. — A new original play by Wheeling-based playwright Butch Maxwell will make its debut this June at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre, marking a significant artistic departure for the writer best known for more than 50 comedy productions with Mystery Theatre Unlimited.
Titled Places, the play will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 14 at the historic theatre, located at 2118 Market Street in Wheeling. Reservations may be made by calling 304-242-7700 or visiting the Oglebay Institute website at oionline.com.
While Maxwell’s previous work has centered on fast-paced comedic mysteries, Places shifts focus to character and emotional realism. Set within a community theatre production, the play explores the tension between the roles people perform in everyday life and the identities they struggle to claim as their own.
“At its core, the play is about the difference between a life that looks right and one that feels true,” Maxwell said. “It asks what happens when you can’t pretend those are the same anymore.”
The title Places carries layered meaning, referencing the backstage call that signals actors to take their positions before a performance begins. In the world of the play, that idea extends beyond the stage, reflecting the ways individuals are shaped by expectations as spouses, parents, professionals and performers.
“For the main character, Sarah, ‘Places’ has been her whole life,” Maxwell said. “She’s been answering someone else’s call for years. The irony is that she enters theatre, a space built on pretending, and it becomes the first place she stops pretending.”
Though grounded in drama, Places retains elements of Maxwell’s signature voice, including moments of humor and sharp observation. However, the pacing and tone differ significantly from his previous work, embracing silence, nuance and unresolved emotional tension.
“There’s no big reveal,” Maxwell said. “No tidy resolution. Some people may find that frustrating. I think it’s honest.”
The production is directed by Cassandra Hackbart Majetich, with technical direction by Meta Lasch. The cast includes Jenn Muscar as Sarah Morrison, Pete Fernbaugh as Eli Parker, Dee Gregg as Marla Hendricks, Sean Decker as Tom Morrison, Frank Wilson as the Director and Nico Muscar as Jake Morrison.
Audiences familiar with Maxwell’s Mystery Theatre work may find Places to be a striking contrast, trading rapid-fire comedy and puzzle-driven plots for a more reflective and emotionally grounded experience.
“I hope audiences leave a little unsettled—in a good way,” Maxwell said. “Not devastated. Not uplifted. Just… aware.”
About Oglebay Institute and Towngate Theatre
Oglebay Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching lives through arts, culture and education in the Ohio Valley. Its Towngate Theatre, located in downtown Wheeling, serves as a center for live performance, offering year-round programming that includes theater, music, film and community events. More information is available at oionline.com.
Towngate Theatre has a longstanding history of supporting original work by regional playwrights. Its most recent original production, Under the Bridge to the Stars, was staged in 2022 following the death of playwright Tom Stobart, whose works were produced at the venue over many years. Towngate also sponsored a National Playwriting Competition for 34 years, from 1976 through 2010, helping to foster the development of new theatrical voices.
The first local playwright to receive a production at Towngate was Dick Boyd. Another Ohio Valley playwright, Mick Daugherty, also had multiple works produced there over the years. Stobart, Boyd and Daugherty have all since passed away, making Places part of a continuing but relatively rare tradition of new local playwriting at the historic theatre.
