By Payton Clark, Social Media Editor
Little Paddocks, the boarding house in the town of Chipping Cleghorn is in chaos and you will never guess what happens. No spoilers here; just go watch it!
OBU Theatre’s production of “A Murder is Announced,” adapted from the novel by Agatha Christie, opened this past Friday, April 20 to start a two-weekend run continuing until Sunday, April 29. Shows continue this weekend with times at 7:30 p.m. April 26-28, and a 2:30 p.m. showing April 29.
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults at okbu.edu/theatre or at the Sarkeys Box Office.
This murder mystery is full of humor, grief and, most of all, suspense as the audience pieces clues together to solve the crime in true “whodunit” fashion.
When a murder is announced in the local paper, said to occur at the boarding house of main character Ms. Blacklock, friends and residents turn against one another as they search for the killer.
As the last production of the year, OBU Theatre has outdone themselves again with a play full of talented actors, as well as talented designers and managers alike.
Senior theatre major Brenna Bergeron, playing Ms. Blacklock, shows poise and encouragement as she tries to keep her family and friends safe from the missing criminal.
Bergeron excellently portrays a strong-minded and motivated woman and is definitely a must-watch character in the show.
A favorite and unlikely duo, Ms. Marple and Inspector Craddock, are played by senior and junior theatre majors Lizzie Grimes and Chase Hendrickson.
Together, these two serve as just one of many comedic reliefs with their incessant bickering, and work well together on stage to create a fun dynamic.
Ultimately, their characters come together to solve the crime, and Grimes and Hendrickson make it look so easy!
The rest of the ensemble cast played by seniors Lara Gatton as Mrs. Swettenham and Hannah Lounsbery as Dora Bunner (Bunny), junior Anna Tyler as Julia Simmons, sophomores Courtlin Haygarth as Patrick Simmons and Kendra Johnson as Phillipa Haymes and freshmen David Goforth as Sergeant Mellors/Rudi Scherz, Amber Rodriguez as Mitzi and Garrett Wheeler as Edmund Swettenham shines as characters work together seamlessly to make sure you really never figure it out.
From one clue to the next, the actors skillfully portray their characters, either assuring or confusing your sleuthing skills until the last moment.
Another important aspect of the play, set design and props, serves to further aid the audience in their crime-solving endeavors.
Created by Scott Roberts (scenic designer) and McKenzie Reece (props designer), the whole team behind this work wonderfully spun together the details of the play’s setting and tone with clues to the murder itself.
Not only are the actors a major part of this murder-mystery, but so is the set, giving the audience every clue to the mystery without spoiling the plot. But will you solve the crime?
Costume design is an aspect of theatre production that is always at the forefront of the show, but never the audience’s mind.
However, the costume team led by Rachel Stine did a wonderful job at creating nice costumes that not only represented the time period and setting of the show beautifully, but also worked toward solving the crime. This production is all in, and everything
is a clue! (Don’t worry, I caught that inverted costume action at the end, guys.)
With an excellent team of actors, designers, managers and directors behind it, “A Murder is Announced” is a perfect and brilliant ending to a great season of OBU Theatre.
Audiences will be on the edge of their seats until the final scene trying to solve this crime, and they probably won’t!
With another weekend of shows, this production is a great way to take a break from the busyness of the spring semester before finals begin, so grab a friend and get your tickets before it sells out! Happy sleuthing!
thebisonnews.com 
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