“The story you are about to witness is one of romance and tragedy, primal murder, and the urge for revenge,” the audience is told as they are greeted by one of the main characters, detective Hercule Poirot (played by freshman Phuc Bui).
Even before the curtains open, the audience knows to not trust anything that they see. Poirot tells the audience, “From the beginning, it was an odyssey of deception and trickery,” and this feeling of mystery is felt throughout the play. The introduction from Poirot causes the audience to be hooked on every single word coming from the stage.
Set on a historical, luxury train, Murder on the Orient Express is the latest playbill addition to the Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS) collection. A murder mystery set on a train, this play has something for everyone — drama, revenge, mystery, laughs, costumes, and intricate set designs.
Since the entire play takes place on a train meant to represent the epitome of luxury and class, the SDS crew had to get creative with projecting a feeling of luxury within a small, tight space on a stage. Scenic Designer Gabriella Poska said that she took inspiration from the original Orient Express train, explaining, “I wanted the audience to feel the tight atmosphere of a train that is so prevalent in the storyline of this show, while also giving the cast enough room to act and become their characters.”
It was important that the stage included both a dining car and sleeping compartments while being confined and claustrophobic. This resulted in large moving components of the set that allowed for smooth transitions between scenes. “We have doors that come out from behind and go across the stage to centralize the scene. They are essential to the plot and overall feel of the show,” explained Poska.
This resulted in a very technically-challenging set. “We have four crew members in dress working scene transitions in front of the curtain and six crew members behind the curtain,” commented Producer Mathieu Nagle. The complicated scene transitions are worth it. With the moving doors, movie-like music, and light work, SDS creates the feeling of a train traveling through beautiful landscapes, and once the lights go back up to normal and the music is stopped, the audience is transported to a different part of the train.
The moving set wasn’t the only complex factor. Most of the actors had to not only work on developing their characters but also learn accents. “I’ve never actually had to do an accent in a show before, so having to not only learn my lines but also how to say them accurately in a Minnesotan accent was definitely a fun challenge,” remarked Carissa Greene, who plays Helen Hubbard. Greene enjoyed playing Helen because it was a challenge to play a character so different from who she is offstage.
SDS is excited about how much the show has to offer. Greene said, “It’s a really fun adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel for people who may already know the story and a compelling mystery for those who don’t already know the ending.”
Not only is it a compelling mystery, but it is also fast-paced. Everyone and everything is constantly in motion, delivering surprises around every corner. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most technologically difficult and ambitious shows that SDS has produced in recent years.
“Audiences should be excited to see the intricate tech work that our team of designers has been working tirelessly on and the dynamic characters that our actors have devoted themselves to,” proudly stated Nagle.
“This show has more dramatic moments than most of the shows we’ve done recently, while also having moments where we get to stay true to our comedic roots,” Greene explained.
So if you think you can figure out who is the murderer amongst the complex characters and set design, come watch Murder on the Orient Express.
Showtimes are tonight, Friday, November 8, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 9, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
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