Nasty Drew & That Harder Boy: The Mystery of the Family Jewels, a cabaret show written and produced by Chris Harder parodying the classic Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries beloved by baby-boomers, takes place at Club Helsinki Hudson on Sunday, April 17, at 7pm.

This “queer and campy whodunit,” a co-production of GayHudson.com and BigGayHudsonValley.com, features some of New York City’s hottest names in burlesque, drag, and circus performers.

Chris Harder (AEA, SAG/AFTRA) is an actor, director and theatre maker dedicated to artistic risk and the creation of new work. Chris is a Resident Artist with Artists Repertory Theatre, a two-time Drammy Award winner and twice Regional Arts and Culture Council grants recipient. He is drawn to the primal roots of theatre and the ability stories have to change lives.

He was a founding member of the Sowelu Theater Ensemble (1998 – 2004) working in all areas of production and training in weekly ensemble workshops, studying Meisner with Bary Hunt (via William Esper,) Viewpoints (from Kim Weild & SITI Co.) and practicing physical awareness techniques.

Chris has performed in numerous plays, readings and workshops. Local theaters include Portland OR Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Third Rail Rep, Portland Playhouse, Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, Hand2Mouth, CoHo Productions, Sojourn Theatre, Profile Theatre, Stark Raving, Eggshell Productions, Well Arts Institute and Portland Civic Theatre Guild. Chris developed and self produced two original solo shows (The Centering and Fishing For My Father) and has toured to the Edmonton and Boulder International Fringe Festivals.

In Film / TV Chris has worked with director Gus Van Sant and actors Harrison Ford, Ron Livingston and Timothy Hutton. Credits include; Grimm, Restless, Extraordinary Measures, Music Within, Rid of Me, Everyman’s War, Leverage, Recovery and Thieves.

For more than ten years he has performed as a Clown, Comedy Magician, and Emcee, creating laughter at over one thousand events. He is a certified Comedy Stage Hypnotist (Chris David) having trained in Las Vegas from one of the top instructors in the world.