Solving a Mystery Three Times in a Row
One would think that after solving the same mystery four nights a week for an entire two months that the entire process would get dull, but that wasn’t the case for my experience in Old Church Theater’s presentation of Agatha Christie’s world famous murder-mystery, The Mousetrap, the longest continuously running show in the world.
Old Church Theater (OCT) is a non-profit community theater operating out of Bradford, Vermont. I have had experience acting for OCT a few summers ago in a few supporting roles, but I am now honored to be playing my first lead role in a show as intriguing and fun as The Mousetrap and with such a great cast.
The premise is simple: a young couple is playing innkeeper to four unusual but unique guests and one unexpected visitor when they all get trapped inside by a snowstorm. After getting put on edge by the news of a murder in London, the police call, stating that they are sending a Detective over. As soon as he arrives, the tension builds as he explains to them that he has good reason to believe that the murderer from London might be after one of their guests. He is soon proven right, and now he and the two innkeepers must race to get inside the mind of a homicidal madman before he or she kills again.
It’s difficult for me to categorize what The Mousetrap is. Although officially it’s a murder-mystery play, revenge plays a very large role in the murder aspect of it. Along with revenge, letting go of the past is a major theme as well. From the audience’s reaction on opening night, the show has many splashes of humor and a drop of romance thrown in among its sea of drama, and even a moment of horror at the end for when the killer is finally revealed.
A show can have the best script in the world, but cannot be regarded as great by just its script alone. What makes OCT’s The Mousetrap so special is its amazing set and the great chemistry between its cast, all brought together and made possible by the awesome efforts of its director and co-director. I find myself to be very lucky to have auditioned for and earned the Detective role in the play, as it gives me the privilege to interact personally with each character, and to help guide the audience along all of the intrigue, turns, and shocking twist at the end.
The Mousetrap will be having its second and final show nights this Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 4pm (May 8th , 9th,10th) on 137 North Main Street, Bradford, VT. Tickets are $6 for students, $10 for seniors, and general admission is $12 with free baked goods available during intermission. If you’d like any more information, you can go to www.oldchurchtheater.org.
From the conversations I’ve had with several random audience members after the show, I am obliged to highly recommend that you go see the show this weekend if you and your family are up for a good two hours of mystery solving, murderer dodging, good old fashioned family fun.
