Image Credit: Gabrielle Mappone

At the beginning of the school year, the McCaskey Performing Arts Department set out to put on a production of Murder on the Orient Express. About three weeks into the rehearsal process, however, McCaskey students were faced with the cancellation of the show due to issues with securing the rights to the script. Saddened, the cast and crew said goodbye to their beloved snowy train setting and embarked on a new journey to the Nile. Their performance of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Nile was amazing. 

 

The cast, crew, and director had many thoughts and feelings about the process of putting on Murder on the Nile while still grieving the loss of Murder on the Orient Express. Director Starleisha Gingrich stated that she had a great group of students, but shifting plays brought its own challenges; the stories were completely different. While the change brought difficulties, it was a good lesson in adaptability. 

 

The rehearsal process got cut in half. The cast lost 4 weeks of rehearsal time out of their 8-10 weeks of rehearsals.  Some actors struggled with time management and the unique challenges of balancing play rehearsal and homework. They stayed up late after rehearsal, took advantage of their hour-long break between school and rehearsal, and studied and practiced lines during quieter moments of rehearsal. 

 

The size of the crew was reduced because there were fewer props and scene transitions in the new show. The crew was already in the process of building a train for the Murder on the Orient Express, and had to convert it into a boat. Fortunately, both plays were set during the same time period, so costumes remained the same. 

 

For the cast who has been greatly affected by the switch of the play there was,some could say, some controversy about the two plays. Macy Sauder, a senior, reflected, “ I am actually happy about the switch, I think it’s more interesting.” On the other hand, Cal Clapper said “ I actually prefer the other play’s characters and plot, but I still love this play and think it is interesting.”  Starleisha admitted, “ I don’t love it as much as the first play but I have grown to understand it more.” She added,  “Pay attention to the characters and make connections to the details, and maybe watch multiple times to connect the pieces.” 

 

All of the actors had to acclimate to a new role. While Starleisha tried to keep roles similar, there were some discrepancies. The casting for Murder on the Nile was smaller, so some people who had speaking roles in the previous production experienced a drastic reduction in stage time. According to Cal, “I went from a lead role to only a couple lines on stage.” He was disappointed but still ecstatic to be a part of the process. 

Sophomore Celia Keener explained, “There was a ton of stress. We only had a few weeks to put on a show while starting from scratch.”  Actors had to learn new accents or change their accent to better fit the characters and setting. 

 

On top of that, many actors expressed emotional attachments to the characters they left behind. Seniors Rose Carlson and Sonii Bora had been double casted in the previous show, and had to adjust to playing separate entities. Rose says it was difficult to get back into the “groove” of things and expressed how hard the mourning process was. Sonii had also expressed his concerns in terms of deadlines, saying “I was afraid I wouldn’t be off book in time. I went from sharing a role with Rose to tackling the lead role all by myself. I was very excited but still felt anxious and somewhat guilty for being casted.” The process wasn’t easy, but it was memorable. Lyra Newswanger, a junior in the ensemble, said, “I think the set is really cool; the cast does a great job executing stuff”. Celia added that in spite of the stress, the production was very fun. 

 

Murder on the Nile is about a rich young woman named Kay Ridegway, who recently married her former friend’s fiance Simon Mostyn. The newlyweds embark on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile, but unexpected circumstances and a shocking brutal murder awaits them.

 The McCaskey Theater Department proved their resilience with this wonderful performance. The show went on, despite inconveniences. The audience was captivated and engaged, trying to solve the murder alongside the characters. You would have never guessed that the actors had their rehearsal time cut in half, or that the set was ever a train. The actors excelled at embodying their roles. The play illustrated romantic love beautifully and  demonstrated how wealth and greed can lead to corruption. The cast did such a fantastic job in a less-than-ideal situation that maybe the new show was meant to be.