The plot thickens. No really. In the Surrey Little Theatre production of Catch Me If You Can, it's no cliché, there are more than enough twists to keep anyone guessing.

Not to be confused with the 2002 movie of the same name, this is a comedic mystery by Robert Thomas which opened on Broadway in 1965.

Local actress Kate Bergen plays the lead female character, Elizabeth, in the performance which runs Oct. 25 to Nov. 17.

"Female roles are pretty highly competitive in community theatre," Bergen said. "I didn't know how I would stack up against other people."

She obviously stacked up just fine as she found out she landed the lead not long after the audition.

"You always prepare yourself for the 'sorry we don't need you this time'," she said. "Then [after learning she got the part] I got really excited about it."

Bergen stars opposite another Langley resident - Terry Thomas. The couple play husband and wife. Or do they?

The premise of Catch Me If You Can revolves around Corban (played by Thomas), and his new bride Elizabeth, on their honeymoon in the Catskills. Elizabeth has been missing for three days when she is returned to the couple's vacation cabin by Father Kelleher, played by Chris Gursche.

Not much of a nail biter yet.

It's when Corban announces that this woman is not his wife that things get interesting.

The cast of characters, including Langley resident Raymond Hatton as inspector Levine, try to unravel the mystery only to reveal what Bergen calls, "The story behind the story."

"You never expect the ending," said 25year Walnut Grove resident Dan Tribe, who plays the local deli owner, Jewish character, Sidney.

Tribe flowed easily in and out of his role as he was interviewed by the Langley Advance.

"I like that he's a character, unusual," Tribe said. "It's a small part, I'm only in one scene. But I'm the only one who gets to touch the moose head."

HOW TO WIN

A pair of tickets to see Catch Me If You Can

Two lucky readers will each win a pair of tickets.

How do you win?

. Visit the Langley Advance website at: www.langleyadvance.com, find "More Ways to Connect," and click on "send us your letters, photos, video."

. Fill in your name, email, and number.

. Then write a short note explaining why you want to attend this show. Please note your community, and include the keyword "Catch Me" at the top of the note. Preference is given to Langley residents.

Entries must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23 and winners will be notified by email and/or telephone. Note: submitted comments could be used in future editions of the newspaper. No staff or family of the Langley Advance or Glacier Media are eligible. This contest is restricted to online participants, 19 years or older only.

Directed by Tyler Seib, the play challenges the actors to stretch beyond ordinary roles.

"Honestly, it's a really fun challenge," noted Bergen. "It's like it's permission to go to extremes. I get to play sweet, I get to play innocent, I get to play evil, I get to play conniving."

Bergen is fairly new to acting in community theatre. She'd been involved in behind-the-scenes functions for five years, only to take a serious step up to the stage in 2011.

Seib's mother, Brigitte Seib, is also involved in the production as a co-producer.

"I enjoy working with him," she says of developing the performance with her son. "He started reading [the play] and couldn't put it down."

Bergen was also captured by the intriguing nature of the play. She spoke about the challenges of learning how to play Elizabeth.

"The process in rehearsal - you'll often hear this from other actors - is one of discovery," she said.

"When you're on stage with someone, you'll get a sense of 'Oh, that's what she's doing' about your character. It can be tricky."

Catch Me If You Can opens Oct. 25 and runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings until Nov. 17.

There are also two Sunday matinees on Nov. 4 and 11.

All shows are at the Surrey Little Theatre at 7027 184 Street in Surrey.

General seating is $15 a ticket.

Contact Surrey Little Theatre to reserve or to find out about half price preview nights and season tickets at 604-576-8451 or email reservations@surreylittletheatre.com.

editorial@langleyadvance.com