Murder mystery takes MACHS stage
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The Mount Ayr Community High School Drama Department will present its spring production of Murder on the 518 this weekend.
The light-hearted murder mystery will take the MACHS stage Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m. both evenings.
Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students.
Synopsis: Red-eye travelers on the westbound 518 are in for a surprise when first one passenger, and then another, mysteriously drop dead right before their eyes — and just as the train is halted by a rock slide in an isolated canyon. Because the pair appears to have been poisoned, anyone and everyone in the train dining car is a suspect!
Unable to call for help, the eccentric passengers — including two newlyweds, an astronomy professor, a sports recruiter, a CEO, a movie star, an aspiring musician, and others — try to work together with the waitstaff to find the murderer before they reach their destination and the killer escapes for good! Unfortunately, not everything (or everyone) is as it seems.
The play was written by Michelle Giles and is presented by arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service.
CAST
Character Played by
Dana Thompson – paparazzi Karly Elwood
Sidney Bennett – pesky paparazzo Maddie Stewart
Rachel Knox – happy honeymooner Ashtyn Werner
Caleb Knox – happy honeymooner Jaydon Knight
Elliott Williams – meticulous writer Jolene Ebersole
Rita Ramsey – her publisher Lacy Post
Mike Umbarr – enthusiastic basketball coach Ryce Reynolds
Jackie Dows – his equally enthusiastic assistant Adalyn Reynolds
Holly Barnes – lofty astronomy professor Lindsey Jennett
Lauren Maloney – Veteran ER doctor Rachael Lutrick
Tracy Michaels – Veteran nurse Halsie Barnes
Abby Wells – passionate veterinary technician Hope Whittington
Nelson Henry – upbeat musician Sadie Berger
Claire Wade – upbeat musician Hayden Ruggles
Owen Casey – focused private investigator Will Newton
Dannie Holmes – assistant investigator Payten Lambert
Derrek Warren – intense executive chef Xander Harmening
Jennifer Warren – creative pastry chef –
Derek’s wife Stephanie Post
Avery Millen – savvy pharmaceutical CEO Avery Dickerson
Jilllian Hill – dutiful assistant to Ms. Millen Loryn Schaefer
Isabella Madison – pompous movie starlet Laurie Belzer
Lucy Blake – faithful assistant to Ms.
Madison Alexa Smith
Troy Donahue – arrogant movie star Ashtyn Benesh
Lizzy Smith – his assistant Haylee Fletchall
Ben Billingsly – on his 60th anniversary trip Rhett Larson
Martha Billingsly – Ben’s wife Channler Henle
Sage Wallace – goth sits in corner creeping
people out Alexis Greenland
Becky Knox – another goth Kylian Wise
Jasmine Osborn – another goth – won’t talk Emmalee Schaefer
Dawn Long – college student Tegan Streit
Emily Murphy – college student Linsie Barnes
Jessica Travis – college student Jillian Kniep
Ruth Halstrom – quilter Olivia West
Nancy Davis – quilter Anne James
Lila Osterby – quilter Melaina Haley
Ethel Main – quilter Rachel Sobotka
Rory Watson – mystery book club fanatic Natalie Schaefer
Jordan Docket – mystery book club fanatic Josie Vanderflught
Karen Riley – mystery book club fanatic Lauren Triggs
Jamie Bissell – mystery book club fanatic Taylor Shields
Wendy Marshal – traveling for the 1st time
without parents – Mallory Weehler
Julie Marshal –traveling for the 1st time
without parents – Tessa Kniep
Conductor Brady Bickel
Ticket seller Mya Sackett
Ticket seller Madison Shields
Waiter one Andrea Sickels
Waiter Two Madison Shields
Waiter Three Sherri Gordon
Waiter Four Olivia Hatfield
Waiter Five Lilliana Aguilar
Executive Chef Becca Dolecheck
Sous Chef One Kaylie Shields
Sous Chef Two Kacee Klommhaus
Police Officer One Payton Weehler
Police Officer Two Trae Ehlen
Police Officer Three Dawson Swank
CREW
Stage Manager Ally Shelley
Mrs. Kniep and Mrs. Giles’ assistant
Haylee Fletchall
Crew Chiefs – Erik Trujillo and
MaKayla Jones
Lights Raines Sackett
Sound Tucker Knox
Set Managers – Bryce Shaha, Matt Larson,
Drew Ehlen and Riley Maudlin
Curtains – MaKenna Jones and Anne Newton
Videographer Janna Irving
Costumes – Abby Eaton, Alexa Anderson,
and Zoey Shelley
Makeup – Kalee Wise, Riley Jones, Karlie
Larson
Set Painters – Chris Wyant, Dalton Barnes,
Colton Dredge, Christin Mate, and Keye
Willis
