An ocean voyage can pull so many peculiar personalities together on one ship, and this cuckoo cast of characters for Ahoy! lives up to that idea to a T. One of the most fun things about mysteries is the way they bring a wide array of human beings into one area, studying how human nature reacts like chemicals mixed haphazardly. Who’s ready to see some fireworks? Fighting, flirting, falling in love, finding a murderer? Anything goes with this cast. And it takes a talented team of performers to capture that farcical spirit we wanted. So allow us to let the actors share their insights in making these outlandish personalities for Ahoy!, our latest Master Mystery Production, in this behind-the-seas blog post.

PASSENGER MANIFEST: The Making of Ahoy! (Part 2)

Heiress to the immense Lovelace Lipsticks fortune, Lana Lovelace finds the life of the idle rich to be just too idle for her. She has taken up the hobby of “embroidery,” that is telling imaginative and fabricated stories about people and situations in her life. Why, her fiancé has been everything from an undercover German spy to a doctor on the brink of curing polio to a chimney sweep pulling himself up by his bootstraps. She calls it her charming quirk to spice up her life; Others would call her a pathological liar.

McKenna Sangren has been involved in theatre itself since 2009. At CLOTA, she has been acting since 2024 in roles such as Chet Jr. in The Viewing Room, D’Lilah Mertz in ‘Tis the Season to Believe, Miss Brill in Cheaper by the Dozen, Joanna Trout in Dear Brutus, Lady Montague in R+J: Obsession, and the Radio Host/Cap’n Wallis in ‘Tis the Season to Believe: Squatch-Along Edition. She won the CLOTA Robe for Cheaper by the Dozen. A working voice actress, she performed as Angele de Mornay in Visions of Sugarplums for Master Mystery Productions. She assistant directed both the ‘Tis the Season to Believe revival and Life with Father for CLOTA. McKenna gives us her perspective on Lana Lovelace:

“Lana Lovelace is a very different character than the ones I am used to playing. She lives in the spotlight, has plenty of money, and everybody adores her. Or so she thinks. Of course that means she is an absolute treat to bring to life. Though she doesn’t mean any harm, her embroidery does tend to leave a trail of angry people and lots of apologies. Not hers of course. Cleaning up her mess is somebody else’s job. I think my favorite part about her is that even though she is quite the girl who cried wolf, she is genuinely kind and caring to those she loves. She just likes to spice up her life a bit. Coming from somebody who is always unsure and anxious, its fun to play somebody who is so sure of herself.”

Joel Ryland is a humble, shy, nervous junior clerk at a London law firm with a dodgy stomach and a tendency to sweat when he’s nervous. He adores Lana, but he’s also intimidated by her and finds her habit of “embroidery” to be troubling. He’s never quite sure if she’s being honest with him. When her stories about him start landing him in hot water, he tries to give her a taste of her own medicine thanks to some mischievous advice from an actress onboard. Cue the fake mustaches and terrible accents. But his theatrical antics are hampered by his omnipresent seasickness.

Jonathan Blair has been a regular in local theatre since 2018 when he stole the show as Coxswain Pierce in Mutiny on the Sea Witch, winning his first Diamond Mask Award for Excellence in Performance. He since won two more for playing the double role of Frank/Officer Dixon in Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind 2019 debut and 2022 revival production. At CLOTA, Jonathan has had starring turns in Witness for the Prosecution, Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind, Clue the Musical, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Two Dozen Red Roses, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Viewing Room, ‘Tis the Season to Believe, Dear Brutus, R+J: Obsession, and Life with Father. He won the 2023 Firecracker Award from CLOTA and serves as the current President of the CLOTA Board of Directors. He will play the Tutor and Understudy Creon in CLOTA’s upcoming fall production of Medea. Jonathan shares his thoughts on creating the character of Joel:

“Joel is a shy man, nervous and still drawing from his boyhood, The Blandest Child in Britain. He lacks somewhat of a healthy confidence and assertiveness; He likes his introverted shell. He does not feel like he can be himself around Lana, especially with all the embarassing embellished stories she comes up with. It does not help build his confidence. Being forced into a made-up character helps him grow more comfortable with himself and start to develop confidence and become more assertive.”

Lola Langford is a famous actress traveling to New York to appear in a big Broadway show, she is taking the luxurious ocean liner for a few days of necessary R&R. Normally, that means sunning on deck and ignoring the world around her. Except when she gets sucked into the lives of Lana and Joel, steering their shenanigans as impishly as Puck. In her mind, it’s not manipulation; It’s just staging a little drama to liven up the journey. All the world’s a stage, you know.

Olivia Holm-Risden returns to acting after a successful stint as a director of two acclaimed, reimagined productions of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet, the latter newly styled as the post-apocalyptic R+J: Obsession. She is one of the most awarded actresses working today with a record seven Diamond Mask Awards to her name for performances in Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind, Woman in the Walls, Who’s Who?, Closer to Heaven, Tête-à-Tête, The Sky’s the Limit, and Murder at the Red Fez. A genius makeup artist, she has been awarded two Ruby Hands for Makeup Design for Lenore Nevermore and Closer to Heaven. From CLOTA, Olivia received the Robe for Steel Magnolias and the Florence Green Production Award in 2023. Olivia gives us her take on Lola’s character:

“Lola Langford is the actress everyone knows and loves. She is smart, cunning, and an incredibly fascinating character to play. Throughout the show, she wears many hats, flexing her acting prowess.In return, it allows me to be flexible and expand my acting range to a multitude of nuances. In my eyes, Lola is like a cosmopolitan: bright color, sharp but sophisticated taste (with a hint of lime), a staple in every room. I cannot wait for the audiences to see Lola onstage–or on deck–in Ahoy!“

The Honorable Ginevra Longfellow is a rich society matron who has debuted more debutantes than she can count (or remember). But while her memory for details have grown fuzzy with time, her tongue for gossip is flawless. She may not recall if the debutante is a blond or a brunette, but she absolutely remembers how she ran off with a stable hand because she became pregnant with his child six weeks after her debut. Ginevra is a font of information…if you have the patience to sit for it. She guided Lana through her first social season as a young woman and is regarded as a kind of mentor and auntie.

Fran Kelty made her stage debut in local theatre as Clairee Belcher in CLOTA’s fall 2023 production of Steel Magnolias, which she then followed as an Ensemble member in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas for CLOTA’s Christmas show. Since then, she has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Philostrate, The Viewing Room as Florence Dumbrosky, ‘Tis the Season to Believe as the Widow Wannacott, and Dear Brutus as Mrs. Coade. Fran served in the military as a broadcaster and broadened her community theatre experience before producing her greatest achievement: a set of twins. Ahoy! marks Fran’s first Master Mystery Production. Fran imparts what she learned about making Ginevra come alive onstage:

“In modern terms, aging-aristocrat Ginevra Longfellow is no influencer, although she certainly would want to be. In all probability, she has been the one influenced by those seeking to take advantage of eccentric socialites. Her head is in the clouds searching for someone to make her someone, but her heart is grounded in those she cares about and loves. Her failing memory and absurd self-absorption, provide for unintentional comedic errors. Ginevra is the old aunt you adore, but don’t have the stamina to spend much time with.”

Anthony English is Lana’s father’s lawyer from the States who must continually reiterate that his surname is English and not “He’s Anthony, and he’s English.” His job usually involves writing large checks to placate anyone affected by Lana’s “embroidery.” He’s on the ship at the command of Lana’s father to keep a close eye on the Cape, a magnificent diamond necklace made exclusively of Cape Town gems, which Lana wears carelessly on the ship in front of hungry eyes. It’s worth millions…and Anthony’s skin if the necklace would ever disappear.

Anton Patchin joined the theatre scene in 2023 in his role as Mortimer in How to Solve a Murder for Master Mystery Productions. Since then, he has continued to tread the boards in performances as the Ensemble for ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, John Cavendish for Murder at the Red Fez, a Card Guard for Malice in Wonderland, and Peter Sampson in R+J: Obsession. He won a Special Commendation from MMP for his help on tech for The Last Garden Party; or How a Lady Keeps Her Poise around Corpses. Anton offers his thoughts on Anthony English:

“Anthony is a very serious person. He hates the Lovelace family and pretty much gets irritated whenever he’s around them. He can be very blunt and even sarcastic sometimes (especially with the Lovelace family). Anthony does really like to depate with people and prove his side of the argument; That’s probably why he became a lawyer. Unltimately, Anthony is someone who likes to argue with people.”

*

The Society Gossips

Bibi Bradford is a rival actress of Lola Langford’s who just hates on everything she does and admits to trying to sabotage the lady’s performances. She finds Lola to be a vicious opportunist with a gimlet eye and a mercenary view of success and show business.

Paige Ratliff makes her Master Mystery Productions’ debut as Bibi in Ahoy!, but her previous theatrical experience came from the footlights of the Burroughs High School Drama Department. As a performer, she was a Narrator for Charlotte’s Web, Kenosha in Trap, and Ensemble in Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She was the Stage Manager for the BHS production of The Outsiders. Outside of Burroughs, Paige performed in the Ensemble of the Ridgecrest Musical Enrichment Society’s (RMES) 2025 production of Mary Poppins. Paige gives us insights into what makes Bibi Bradford tick:

“It took me a while to figure Bibi out. On the surface she seems like a charming if rude individual. It takes a minute of peeling away layers to discover that the sparkly charm is on the outside only. At her core- is hate. I mean, she was created to be Lola’s rival. She just hates on everything the woman does. It’s been fun playing a character so unlike myself. Not to toot my own horn, but I am not as rude and hateful as Bibi Bradford and I also lack her amount of confidence, so it’s fun to play with the things I am not. It’s been a great joy to act as a character with as sassy, assured, and mean as Bibi. Even if all of those attributes come from a place of ‘I will physically climb over you to get what you want.'”

Colleen O’Connell is a close friend of Lana Lovelace’s who is just as scandalous with her gossip as Lana is. Rich, priveleged, and sparkling with jewels, Collen is as frothy and festive as a glass of champagne. She divulges all the dirt about Joel and Lana…often to the highest bidder. She’s got a hot story for a secret friend of hers named “Scoop.”

Libby Mitchell has been a central figure on local stages since 2021. After first joining MMP in Who’s Who?, she has performed in Closer to Heaven, Unlucky Seven, Tête-à-Tête, The Sky’s the Limit, Tourist Trap, How to Solve a Murder, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, R+J: Obsession, and more. She won the Skeleton Key Award for Tourist Trap in 2023 and the Carol Venturi Award from CLOTA in 2024. In 2025, she won a Diamond Mask Award for Millie Carraway in Murder at the Red Fez, the Ruby Hand Award for Costume Design for Malice in Wonderland, and the 2025 Founder’s Award from MMP. Her most recent role was as Phoebe Walliscroft in The Last Garden Party 2026 Revival this past spring. She performs in CLOTA’s Medea later this year. Libby shares what is going on in Colleen’s mind:

“Colleen O’Connor is Lana Lovelace’s best friend. She takes a lot of pride in being best friends with one of the most iconic, hardworking, kind women of her time. She just happens to enjoy the extra cash of telling the newspapers about her. If Lana ever figured it was her sharing her stories and asked Colleen to stop talking to the press, she would, but Lana hasn’t figured it out yet or doesn’t care that her stories get told, so it’s not Colleen’s fault her friend makes her extra cash for jewelry and the like. She loves being able to go talk to people on trips; she even enjoys talking to poor people as long as they have interesting stuff going on in their lives. Rich people may be more fun, but she doesn’t mind the poor, unlike some of her fellow passengers.”

Sasha Steinberg is one of Ginevra’s former debutantes who spills some nasty secrets about her old sponsor during the show. After all, the Honorable Ginevra Longfellow did some weird things around her like stuff silver down her corset and be around her when her grandmother’s pearls just up and left during the coming-out ball.

Briona Stewart has primarily worked both onstage and backstage for the Burroughs High School Drama Department in roles such as Juror #5 in Twelve Angry Jurors, Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest, Sue Bayliss in All My Sons, and Templeton in Charlotte’s Web. Outside of BHS, she performed in Clue the Musical for CLOTA. For MMP, Briona has performed in Murder at the Red Fez and won the Diamond Mask Award for her role as the March Hare in Malice in Wonderland. Below, Briona talks about her portrayal of Sasha:

“Sasha Steinberg is a former debutante with a sharp tongue and a loose grasp on geography. She’s got the inside scoop on Ginevra and is dying to share it! She’s witnessed Ginevra’s odd behavior firsthand, from stuffing silverware down her corset to the convenient “disappearance” of Grandmummy’s pearls during her own coming-out ball. She’s also incredibly excited to cross the Atlantic for the first time, though her “research” consisted of squinting at a map once and calling it a day. She’s more naive than she knows, more gossipy than she should be, and absolutely convinced that every word out of her mouth is fact. Bet you can’t wait to meet her and hear everything she knows.”

Her Grace is a very important, very upper-class dignitary aboard the S.S. Americana, and she will certainly tell you so herself given half the opportunity. She does not suffer fools, famous people, servants, or slipshod behavior very well. Criticizing others and inspecting their work with a gimlet eye is her favorite pastime, for there is nothing that brings her greater joy than to offer her sincere disapproval.

Beth Sparks-Jacques debuted in 2018 in our murder mystery opera, Exit Prima Donna, as a Chorus member, winning the Skeleton Key Award for her work on the show. She won both the Founder’s Award from Master Mystery Productions and the Firecracker Award from CLOTA for the 2020 season. In 2021, she won the Florence Green Production Award from CLOTA. She won her first Diamond Mask Award in the role of Georgia Georgson in Who’s Who? and a Ruby Hand Award for Costume Design for Woman in the Walls. On the CLOTA stage, she performed in Witness for the Prosecution, The 39 Steps, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She last created a gorgeous costume scheme for The Last Garden Party 2026 Revival. Beth allows us a window to look into Her Grace’s mind:

“Her Grace knows her worth. While she comes off as arrogant and privileged it is because she indeed, is of noble stock. She carries the weight of centuries of her nation’s kings and queens. While her country is tiny, it produces more hubris than all of Europe combined. The English monarchy is but a trifle. Her knowledge of her superior breeding is tempered by noblesse oblige. You must never treat those who are beneath you discourteously. So she can indeed be gracious when it is called for.”

Her Excellency is also a very important, very upper-class dignitary aboard the S.S. Americana, and she will also certainly tell you so herself given half the opportunity. She too does not suffer fools, famous people, servants, or slipshod behavior very well. And wouldn’t you know it? Criticizing others and inspecting their work with a gimlet eye is her favorite pastime as well, for there is nothing that brings her greater joy than to offer her sincere disapproval. How convenient.

Regina Troglin is a recent addition to local theatre and counts Ahoy! as her first Master Mystery Production. She debuted onstage as Gerti (Mrs. Claus) in CLOTA’s 2025 Christmas reader’s theatre show, ‘Tis the Season to Believe: Squatch-Along Edition, winning the CLOTA Robe for her hard work and dedication to helping mount the production. She followed that with her first mainstage production as Cora in Life with Father in Spring 2026 and then as Star Crew and the Understudy Businessman in The Little Prince in Summer 2026. She will perform in the Chorus of CLOTA’s fall production of Medea later this September. Regina serves as the Ship’s Captain of the Lloyd E. Frost VFW Ship 4084. Regina unveils the secrets in Her Excellency’s character:

“Her Excellency knows her worth. While she comes off as arrogant and privileged it is because she indeed, is of noble stock. She carries the weight of centuries of her nation’s kings and queens. While her country is tiny, it produces more hubris than all of Europe combined. The English monarchy is but a trifle. Her knowledge of her superior breeding is tempered by noblesse oblige. You must never treat those who are beneath you discourteously. So she can indeed be gracious when it is called for.”

Lady Agnes Carrington is Ginevra’s frenemy from England. A stickler for decorum and social structure, she finds Ginevra’s inability to remember her name or title to be a nuisance. She claims not to tolerate idle gossip, but she will tell stories about those in her upper circles to ensure no one makes similar errors in etiquette. Should any of her fellow passengers be of sufficient caliber to host a black-tie function, that is.

Janis Kunz is a superstar member of MMP who made history as the first member to win every award at the company. She’s won two Skeleton Key Awards for Eat Cake and Malice in Wonderland, three Diamond Masks for Mutiny on the Sea Witch, Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind, and How to Solve a Murder, four Ruby Hands across Puppetry, Prop Design, Costume Design, and Set Design, the Partners in Crime Award for writing, three Special Commendations, and the Founder’s Award from MMP for 2019. She wrote How to Solve a Murder, co-wrote Malice in Wonderland, and stars in the leading role of Emma Emerson in Regions Beyond. She last appeared as Thomas Hangsby in The Last Garden Party. Janis writes more about the development of Lady Carrington’s character below:

“I enjoy developing the character elements of each new role I play and figuring out how to show their character traits. With Lady Carrington there are some fun things to play around with. She is very judgy and thinks that her opinion is above everyone else’s, so frequent disapproving scoffs and sniffs seem appropriate. She is the frenemy of Fran Kelty’s character, Ginevra Longfellow, so of course her tone should reflect this whenever Ginevra comes into the conversation. She is uncomfortable being around anyone she doesn’t feel is up to her society standards, so I use frowns of distaste and pull away from anyone sitting near her when she appraises them up and down and finds them lacking. And she loves to partake of juicy gossip! Though of course she sees herself as being better than that and doesn’t consider what she does as gossiping…I incorporate that by having her get excited when she is talking trash about someone and declaring it in a way like she is just reciting the obvious, like one would a rule of etiquette. It’s a hoot to relish in her snootiness!

I have been working on changing up the British accent I usually do to help Lady Carrington gel as a distinct character from others I’ve done. I get to wear a fancy dress and jewels this time around and play into the high society aspect of her. I typically swap to contacts when on stage, but this time I’ve worked my glasses into her pieces of business, which is fun and new and also gives her her own flavor. Sometimes it’s a simple touch like that that helps you get into the character and find their physicality. Also, Ahoy! is rooted in screwball comedy tropes, which I love, having watched so many growing up. Looking for that comedic rhythm for her is a challenge that I’m happy to take on. The role is heavy on improv too, due to being seated at the audience tables for the duration of show, including before show and intermission. It will be great, if a little daunting, to be a part of that ‘interactive mystery play’ aspect. I like the immersion when I’m in the audience at this type of show, so I look forward to providing it. I’m always game for adding new experience and skills to my acting repertoire too. All in all I’m excited for the new challenges and unique situations of playing Lady Carrington in Ahoy!“

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Allison Mitchell started acting in 2021 as Miss Meddler in Who’s Who? and has appeared in numerous shows since then. For MMP, she has performed in Unlucky Seven, Tête-à-Tête, The Sky’s the Limit, Tourist Trap, How to Solve a Murder, Murder at the Red Fez, Malice in Wonderland, and The Last Garden Party. For CLOTA, she appeared in The Gift of the Magi, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, ‘Tis the Season to Believe, Dear Brutus, and R+J: Obsession. She won her first Diamond Mask Award for the role of Astrid Thane in Visions of Sugarplums and has won Special Commendations for Tête-à-Tête and The Last Garden Party 2026 Revival. She will perform in the Chorus of Medea this September. Allison’s thoughts have been redacted for the security of the mission:

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These scintillating suspects need the right setting to sparkle at their best. And that is, of course, the ocean liner itself. How do you turn a land-based venue into a luxury ship? How do you make an ice sculpture that doesn’t melt? And what do you write in a ship’s newspaper? Take a gander at the set design, set dressing, and service in our next behind-the-seas blog post: Sea to Shining Sea: The Making of Ahoy! (Part 3).

And remember your tickets! Ahoy! launches very soon, and we’d hate for you to miss the trip. Tickets are sold here. We’ll see you there!

–Master Mystery Productions