(Photo by: Vaughn Wheat)

A new play is being put into production at JCCC–Machinal by Sophie Treadwell and directed by Scott Cox. The play is based on the true story of Ruth Snyder, a woman who conspired to murder her husband with the help of her lover in 1927. She was sentenced to death by electrocution. Sophie Treadwell was the journalist on the assignment. The play is free admission and will be premiering Nov. 14-16 and Nov. 21-23 in the Polsky Theatre starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and on Sunday it will begin at 2 p.m..

Landon Daniels, a student at JCCC, plays the role of “First Man.” This is his first performance at JCCC and he says it will be a “memorable one.” Daniels recently helped discover the ghost of the Polsky theatre, Harvey Bodker, who seems to make sure the actors get things done for their productions, and start rehearsals on time.

On the surface, Machinal is about a woman who murdered her husband and was sentenced to death by electrocution but dive a little deeper and there’s more to understand about the story.

“I want people to see what it was truly like for the common woman back in the early 1920s through expressionist choices that were made…this play is still heavily relevant in today’s society,” Daniels said.