![\"A](\"http:\/\/now.etown.edu\/files\/2014\/04\/A-Murder-is-Announced-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
A Victorian house. Twelve visitors. One murderer. \u201cWhodunit?\u201d<\/p>\n
A large bay window, striped and floral wallpaper, chandeliers, and picture frames. It\u2019s the 1950s in a small English village. Fifty-something Letitia Blacklock is hosting friends and family on Friday the 13th, when the guests receive news of a scheduled 6 p.m. murder. Curious, everyone gathers around waiting \u2026 waiting for the unknown \u2026 the inevitable \u2026 or, certainly, it\u2019s a joke.<\/p>\n
Agatha Christie\u2019s \u201cA Murder is Announced\u201d is performed by Elizabethtown College Theatre. Everyone is a suspect, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats asking \u201cWhodunit?\u201d<\/p>\n
Christie\u2019s novels are known for repeatedly appearing detectives: Miss Marple, a key character, in \u00a0\u201cA Murder is Announced,\u201d is an elderly, busy body, who pries into places one shouldn\u2019t pry, said Michael Swanson, associate professor of theatre and director of theatre and dance.<\/p>\n
As Miss Marple and Inspector Craddock develop the case, they struggle to unveil the murder\u2019s motives. Little evidence is revealed, and information is unknown about the first victim, Swanson said. \u201cThe family all have secrets in their past and alternative reasons to be in the house,\u201d he explained. \u201cThere are four young people with questionable connections to Miss Blacklock, one of whom is a writer who may be working on his first mystery.\u201d It\u2019s a battle of truth and illusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgatha Christie is classic English, quick witted, dry English humor,\u201d said sophomore Jade Bartlett, who portrays Miss Blacklock. There are several dynamic English pauses, typical of classical English mysteries, and the cast has been hard at work crafting the style of humor in sarcastic tones enjoyable for the entire audience. Junior Taylor Luckenbill, playing Miss Marple, added that Christie\u2019s work never disappoints, always leaving a gasping audience.<\/p>\n
Luckenbill described Miss Marple as curious, quirky, energetic, intuitive, and genuine. \u201cI love that she is so in-your-face noisy, but it\u2019s so sweet, no one cares,\u201d Luckenbill said. \u201cShe gets in trouble, finds out things she shouldn\u2019t, yet everyone loves her. She\u2019s a loveable grandma with flair and attitude.\u201d Luckenbill described the challenges of being 21 years old and playing a 73-year-old woman. \u201cI don\u2019t know what it\u2019s like to be 73, I needed movement coaching,\u201d she said. In previous roles, Luckenbill played more serious character, while Miss Marple is comical.<\/p>\n
Bartlett described her character, Letitia Blacklock, as a classic, old, English lady. \u201cMy character is the house wrangler,\u201d Bartlett said, adding that a lot about her character and others are revealed as the plot progresses.<\/p>\n
\nThis play absolutely makes you feel multiple things \u2026 intellectually teases you, makes you laugh; you feel like a part of it.\u201d<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n
An additional Blacklock guest is the Hungarian housemaid, played by senior Alexandra Yastishock. She provides a comedic element to the production, always thinking the cops are out to get her, Bartlett said. Meanwhile, Julia Simmons, Blacklock\u2019s niece, is a sarcastic character, played by junior Wendy Moulton. She and her brother, Patrick, played by first-year student Nicholas Loschiavo, tend to have a lot of disputes, Bartlett said. Additionally, Dora \u201cBunny\u201d Bunner can be a little senile and forgetful, Bartlett said. \u201cBunny\u201d is depicted by junior Rebecca Boia.<\/p>\n
All student actors for this production are theatre majors; however, this is not a requirement for on-campus productions. The cast includes actors from all years, as well as five first-years, four of which are debuting in their first full-length production.<\/p>\n