The Fine and Performing Arts Department presents an Upper School advanced acting class production, the comic murder mystery The Butler Did It, Again! on Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22, 2014 in the Basement Theatre.
“An outrageous comedy murder mystery!” “A crazy gumbo of off-the-wall dialogue and nut-brain action.” Publisher and socialite, the indomitable Miss Maple rents a plantation house, complete with menacing alligator, in the frightening swamp land of Louisiana. She wants to introduce her latest literary discovery, Ruth Dice, who has written a first novel entitled Conversations with a Ghoul. Ruth has only contempt for the guests, classic detective prototypes like tough Chandler Marlow and chic Manhattan socialite Laura Carlyle. She dismisses Louie Fan (“Telephone like corpse. Both dead.”) and gentle Father White (“Tea and biscuits, anyone?”) as has-been hacks. Naturally, she’s the perfect candidate for murder. However, it’s the bizarre owner of the house of secrets, Jasper Van Dine, who’s discovered in the parlor with a scalpel once belonging to Jack the Ripper in his back! WHODUNNIT!? It’s up to the flaky detective writers to unravel the puzzle. Chills, thrills, alibis, clues, motives, and dazzling plot twists fly about the stage like pies in the face. Nothing is what it seems to be and you’ll need a scorecard to keep track of who’s who and what’s what. Smoke and mirrors, fun and games – from start to finish. Bring a seat belt!
The Basement Theatre series continues to be a successful educational aspect of the theatre program, because it challenges our advanced students to act in more challenging and sophisticated plays. The combination of our Main Stage and Basement Theatre productions gives the acting and technical theatre students a college-level theatre experience in their high school years. Tickets to Basement Theatre productions are available at the theatre.