Boze Lyric Theatre will present Murder on the Orient Express in Byrum Hall starting Oct. 12. The play, adapted by Ken Ludwig from the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, concerns a train laden with passengers in the night, yet one fewer in the morning when one traveler is found deceased. The remaining passengers must work alongside detective Hercule Poirot to figure out who the killer is — before one of them is next.
Sophomore and cast member Lillie Poag, who portrays Miss Mary Debenham, notes that the play has a certain interactive quality to it. “The whole time the audience is trying to figure out who the murderer is,” she says. “So it’s very much going to be, ‘Oh, I think it’s this person,’ putting clues together while you’re watching the show, and I think that can be very enjoyable for anybody even if they know the show or don’t.”
When asked what makes this particular production stick out to her, junior Grace Stark, Head Waitress of the Express cast, mentions the fact that the show is double casted: meaning that two people share the same role and play them on alternating performances. “I think it’s going to be very interesting for the audience, especially if people come to more than one show, because there’s already things being done in the rehearsal process that’s differentiating the two casts.”
But the appeal of the play does not lie solely on it being a murder mystery. While the plot hinges on discovering who the killer is, it also touches on subjects that are still prominent today: such as justice, rightful reasonings and discrimination. Poag quotes the director of the play, Rob Johansen, in asking, “Is this a problem in 1934? Is this a problem that’s happening in the U.S. right now?” Both cast members say that the one thing they would like to ask of the audience is to come in with an open mind, as there are many details that will not only help in determining who the murderer is, but also in realizing who the characters are and what the story is trying to say.
Stark explains that the show is like “one big question mark.” More than just a question of who is being murdered and who is doing the murdering, it is also an inquiry of who these passengers on the train are, where they come from and if any of them could be capable of doing such a thing. Audiences are also encouraged to be “ready to be confused.”
Murder on the Orient Express is recommended for patrons 13 and up on account of stage violence and adult language. The show opens Homecoming Family weekend on Oct. 12-20, with showings at 2:30 p.m.. on the 12, 13, and 20, and showings for the 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m.. Seating is reserved. For more information, call the box office at 765 – 641 – 4140.