Murder mystery play premieres this week

CSB/SJU theater is reigniting the Halloween vibes this week with a murder mystery.

They are putting on a production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” this week, Nov. 11-14 at the BAC.

The cast has been putting in long hours to nail their monologues, perfect their accents and make art here at CSB/SJU.

They are eager to get back on the stage.

“We had our off year, but now we’re back, and I think we’re back and ready to be just as good as we were before—if not better. All of us are so excited to finally be doing what we love again,” said Gunnar Laughlin, SJU sophomore and cast member.

In regards to accents, junior Nathan Beal said he worked with director Sean Dooley to improve his performance.

“I’ve been struggling with my accent a little bit. I’m supposed to be doing Italian. It started out as a mix of Mario and Adam Sandler’s ‘Dracula,’” Beal said. Dooley said that Beal’s hard work has paid off.

Alongside the eight-person cast, Dooley has been putting a lot of work into making this production great as he aims to bring “The Mousetrap” and all its glory alive on the BAC stage. The play originally opened in 1952 in London and never stopped running until the pandemic hit in 2020—it was the only play running in the entire theater.

“The big secret is that when you went you had to promise not to tell anybody who the murderer is,” Dooley said. As a result, the play keeps viewers on the edge of your seat.

London play attendees aren’t the only ones with a big secret to keep.

“I accidentally spoiled the ending for the rest of the cast because after I got the script from the director, I read the whole thing that night and then posted it in the group chat. They hadn’t read the script all the way through yet… I was just very eager,” Beal said.

The storyline focuses on the aftermath of a murder during a snowstorm where seven strangers get stranded together.

The seven are joined by a detective as they all try to figure out who the murderer is amongst them.

This fear is only heightened when a second murder takes place and everyone seems to be guilty and have motives.

Despite onstage tension between the characters as they try to figure out who the murderer is, the cast is tight-knit behind the curtain.

Without any hesitation, any cast members interviewed said their favorite part of CSB/SJU theater is the people.

Everyone gets along well as they have fun while keeping the same goal in mind: working together to make something great.

“There’s so many good people involved, whether it be faculty or students involved. All of the people are what make the theater program the theater program,” Laughlin said.

The welcoming and accepting theater community has open arms to anyone and everyone as they can’t wait for you to see the big plot twist play out between the eight cast members.

With all the twists, turns and surprises, this production is a must-see in the Gorecki Family Theater Nov. 11-14.