Playhouse | Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian
This fall, Wright State University’s performing arts school will showcase the classic ‘whodunnit’ play ‘The Mousetrap’ by Agatha Christie.
About the play
‘The Mousetrap’ is a murder mystery set in 1952 Berkshire, England.
Students from the School of Fine and Performing Arts will put on the play with the help of Director Jason Podplesky and Scene Designer Dick Block, according to the WSU play webpage.
Kathyrn Carter, a senior acting major, plays the role of Mollie Ralston. This character is the owner and proprietor of Monkswell Manor guest house, which is where the play takes place. According to Carter, the play is about seven guests who are stranded by a snowstorm at Monkswell Manor when a murder takes place.
“One of them could be a potential killer. One of them could be the next potential victim,” Carter said.
Senior acting major Theodoros “Theo” Karras plays Dectective Sergeant Trotter, who attempts to find the murderer before there is another victim.
“I come in in Act One because I hear there is a murder, and I am sent out to get the statements and to figure out exactly what is going on…put a stop to, essentially, before there is another death,” Karras said.
Karras also mentioned that actors will speak with accents, since the play is set in 1950’s England.
“It’s a timeless story, you will still hear people saying today what they said in 1952,” Karras said.
Behind the scenes
According to Karras, students auditioned for the play during the spring semester and prepared for the play over the summer.
Carter noted the timeline for tech week starting Sept. 19, when the team combines all elements of the play with lighting, costumes and stage management.
The actors will not be wearing masks or using microphones as done during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Karras.
Carter and Karras, as well as the rest of the production team, are excited for opening night on Sept. 23.
“If people like Clue or Knives Out, it’s kind of like that vibe,” Carter said.
When and where
The play is approximately two hours and runs from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 at the Festival Playhouse in the Creative Arts Center on Wright State University’s campus.
