The Fox High School Theatre Troupe will keep audiences guessing this weekend with its production of Agatha Christie’s murder-mystery “And Then There Were None.”
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday at Rickman Auditorium, 747 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold. Student tickets cost $8, and tickets for adults cost $10. Tickets may be purchased at Rickman.
The play is based on Christie’s 1939 novel and is set on Soldier Island off the coast of Devon, England, where 10 strangers are invited to attend a mysterious party. Soon the guests start being killed one by one, with each murder leaving everyone trying to figure out who the killer is before it’s too late.
“This play is very entertaining for any audience,” said junior Daniel Sanders, 16, of Arnold, who plays Lawrence Wargrave. “There are good opportunities to see each actor because every character has a good amount of time on stage. The ending is super entertaining, and there is extremely high tension.”
Fox High English teacher and play director Kameron McClinton said he chose “And Then There Were None” because of its mix of drama and comedy and because he was in the play when he was a sophomore at Seckman High School.
“I was looking for something that was both tragic and comedic,” he said. “’And There Were None’ fit the bill perfectly.”
Senior Sage Gilbert, 17, of Arnold, who will play Vera Claythorne, said she is excited for opening night.
“For me personally, I have gotten to know my character more, and I really like her,” Gilbert said. “She is so fun to play.”
McClinton said he is proud of the large cast’s work, as well as the work of the 40 or so students on the tech crew, which has designed dramatic lighting effects and built an impressive set.
“There will be a ton of doors on the stage, and there is going to be steps up to the main door,” he said.
Sophomore Nolan Brewer, 16, of Arnold, who portrays Philip Lombard, said all the actors are doing a good job with the show, adding that it will be difficult for those who have not read Christie’s book or play to figure out the ending.
“Everyone has had an equal opportunity to have committed the crimes,” Brewer said.
Gilbert said she believes the opening scene is one of the best parts of the play.
“There is a record player with a voice setting everything up,” she said. “It is when everyone starts to not trust each other. Everyone is talking and then you hear the voice of Mr. Owen and start finding out why everyone was invited to the party. That is the scene that sets the entire show.”
McClinton, on the other hand, said the final scene is the best part of the production, adding that the play’s ending is more optimistic than the book’s more tragic ending.
“That is the highest moment of tension,” he said. “It is when you are sitting in your seat and wondering if they are all going to die or if there will be a glimmer of hope at the end.”
McClinton said each character is performed by two students, with both sets of the actors getting a chance to perform the show.
Along with Brewer, Gilbert and Sanders, cast members include seniors Ava Vincent, Adam Thuli and Ariannah Stoutt; juniors Athaliah Villanueva, Gabriel Ostrander, Riley Jones, Megan Kraus, Toby Triplett, Miles Haack and Lilly Moellmann; sophomores Wassim Nasir, Sose Fili, Clay Burtnett, Nicole Simo, Hailey Uding, Alyx Harstell, Ejla Duvnjak and Brooke Griffin; and freshmen Judah Butler, Izzy Eskew, Nha-Uyen Nguyen, Jay Aguirre, Anola Fake and Grace Preston.