On opening night, December 5, 2024, audience member Jude Taylor leaned back into his seat. He watched the curtains reveal the paramount theatre production. He jumped as the scream came from the kitchen on set. Shane Mullinix, fourth year performer, clutched his bloody, white dress shirt and unsteadily got to his feet, facing the crowd, leaving Taylor wondering what would happen next.
Before the show Taylor shared what he was looking forward to most.
“I’m really excited to find out what the story is about and how the characters end up interacting with each other. I’m sure it’ll have a twist, like other mystery murders. I think it’ll be funny, too.”
As he watched the story unfold, still curious as to who had killed the cop, he shared “I thought it was really cool that the first murder, like, wasn’t part of it, like, it was actually, like, a real murder. I really like the fake chef, the one that’s part of the actual joke of it all, and his conflict between the real chef”.
Taylor had sat there watching the play originally written by substitute teacher Ben Abbott, who took control of the stage in the unexpectedly clever and chaotic story of a party house of horrifying deaths and a mystery.
As this tragedy unfolds, three business women take the stage, Jordyn (Amy Ayala), Ginger (Alyssa Wesley), and Ashley (Divy Emmons), decide to throw a murder mystery party. They try to stick to the script and impress investors but soon are forced into “moral dilemmas,” according to the synopsis, and must cloak events from cast members they thought they could trust. Mock fear, uncertainty, and crime solving soon become an adventure.
Gracie Domenghini, who played Dani, a fake and criminal French chef, came close to stealing the show. Her role may have been a character of double standard- a friend attending a party or maybe even a suspect.
Murder Mystery party planners Ashley (Divyana Emmons, 12) and Ginger (Alyssa Wesley, 12), along with Ashley's 'friend' Oliver (Shane Mullinix, 12), hurriedly prepare for the guests to arrive.
Libby Higgins, who played the role of Celeste, a friend of all three hosts, said the play was a jolly experience. She explained that this show particularly was easier for actors to perform. “Fairy Cakes was all rhyming, Queens was historical, and at times challenging to enjoy. This show was easier for both actors and audience to enjoy,” Higgins said.
Behind the screams on stage, scores of theater students supported the production in makeup roles, scene shifts, spotlights, ushering, and audio tasks.
Freshman Sam Cogan said he enjoyed all the fun and the happy ending. “In my opinion, the best scene in the play without a doubt was the plot twist at the end. Finding out that even the event organizers were ‘pranked’ and that nobody died at all was very surprising.”
Yvonne (Mackenzie Chreene, 12) and Morgan (Oliver Krull, 12) cover Wren's (Samantha Madrigal, 11) body.
The Murder Mystery crew and cast were varied and multilayered. Ushers dressed in black, ushering audience members into the theater. Lighting crew, called the “art of the show” by some on cast, stood at spotlights and switchboards. Set changes and off screen moments required busy attention from even more crew members.
Behind the scenes is also director and theater teacher, Marcy Goodnow. Goodnow has directed many productions, putting in more than 250+ hours per show and teaching nearly 100 students acting, dressing, building, ushering and spotlighting. Her dedication shows through the numerous productions and her students name her the “Queen of PRHS drama” for over a decade.
The ice pick is used to "kill" Reid (Makhi Jones, 12) at the end of act 1 of the fall play. A retractable ice pick is later used to trigger the blood pack on Oliver (Shane Mullinix, 12).
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