Behind The Curtain!

With only one weekend left of The Mousetrap we are taking you backstage and “Behind the Curtain” for the inside scoop on Luke Brooks, the actor portraying the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter. (approximate read time, 5 minutes)

Be sure to head to our website or call our box office at (864)-233-6238 to reserve your tickets today!

Luke, where are you from originally and what was your journey to working here at GLT?

I grew up in Iowa City, IA, and lived there up until about a year ago. After I graduated from Cornell College with a BA in theatre I quickly noticed that I had no money so I moved down here with my parents (who moved here after my freshmen year of college) to save up before heading out into the big, bad, expensive world. I was lucky enough to get into Miracle on 34th Street at GLT and had such a great time I knew I wanted to work on a show here again. A few months later I got the opportunity to audition for Mousetrap and well, here I am!

What is life like as a performer?

Hard. and expensive. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. Telling stories is who I am. I remember working on a show in Iowa City where a professional actor told me, "If you can see yourself doing anything else, do it." Honestly I don't know how I could get up in the morning if I didn't have a story to tell, so I guess I just couldn't see myself doing anything else.

Can you tell us a little bit about your character Detective Sergeant Trotter, from The Mousetrap?

Trotter is one of my favorite characters I've gotten to play. He's smart. He's clever and creative, and always comes up with a solution to whatever problems may arise to try and throw him off the case. I've had a blast portraying him and I hope the audience feels how much fun I'm having as Trotter on stage.

What can you tell us about the show without giving anything away?

Every line means something. Nothing is wasted. Even if a line doesn't help you find the killer, it tells you more about why the whole play moves the way it does. In short, I'd just say pay close attention and you'll get so much out of it.

What did you think of the show when you first read the script?

My first thought was, "Man this is going to be fun!" my second was, "Man this will be hard." There's a lot of moving parts in the show and I want to give a shoutout to Sam for pulling them all together so masterfully.

What do you love most about working on this show?

The cast and crew. I really think you find the best people in the theater, and this bunch of goofs made the whole experience super fun!

What should people expect when they see this show?

The unexpected.

Did you ever read any mysteries when you were younger, such as Sherlock Holmes or the Hardy Boys?

I was never a huge reader as a child. I love sound, color, and movement, so when it came to story I would always watch TV and movies. I loved mystery in those medias. Batman for instance was one of my favorite shows growing up, and not because of all the punching (although that helped), but because he was the world's greatest detective.

Are there any funny rehearsal moments you can share with us?

There was one rehearsal where I kept saying the wrong words. Like, I knew my lines, but I kept saying different words. We must have lost 5 minutes of rehearsal to laughing at me when my mind replaced the word "clear" with "queer".

One word to describe this show?

Intrigue.

Anything else you want to share?

I hope you enjoy the show!