Walking into the theater on Saturday night felt like walking into a haunted mansion. The front curtains were open to reveal the incredibly intricate set. Fake wood paneling lined the sides of the stage, leading to a massive front door. Eerie paintings of animals hung on the wood paneling, creating an ornate but creepy atmosphere. The entire arrangement felt like something straight out of a Disney villain’s mansion, like Cinderella’s evil stepmother decorated the stage herself.
When the show started, I was immediately impressed. This was unlike any production I’ve seen at Zachary High before. The actors were natural and quick in their replies to each other, which allowed for the kind of witty dialogue you would hear in a TV show or movie but rarely have the pleasure of witnessing in person.
Bryce Butler (9) was incredible as Wadsworth, the seemingly innocent Butler with a dark secret. Leading up to the reveal of Wadsworth’s secret, Butler gave the audience hints about what was to come.
“When it [came] to the end, I [tried] to sneak hints in and stuff. I also [had] to make sure to keep myself within the first character. That way I [didn’t] slip too much out into the real character,” said Butler.
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Butler demonstrated advanced acting skills throughout the show, but Wadsworth’s death scene fully allowed him to display his range of abilities. The monologue lasted at least three minutes and consisted of Butler running up and down the stage, switching between hilarious bouts of delirium and deathly serious moments. The most shocking part was finding out that much of the scene was created and workshopped by Butler himself.
“Part of it was written in the script, and then a lot of it, I did improv. I made sure to pull from different plays and stuff,” Butler said.
Other notable performers were Katie Evans (11), Noah Sutton (11), Maci Kilpatrick (9), Courtney Tate (12), Camden DeVaux (11), Rowan Rushing (10), and Izzy Blackledge (12).
Evans played the French maid, Yvette. She kept up a French accent throughout the entire play. I’m confident Mrs. Broussard would have been impressed. She was also passionate in all her expressions – every scream gave you goosebumps, and every glare at another character made you feel more connected to her.
Sutton was hilarious in his depiction of Colonel Mustard. One scene in particular stood out to me. The other characters were holding glasses against a door on the left side of the stage to listen to what was on the other side of the door. Sutton calmly walked to center stage and held his glass to his ear, facing away from the door. The audience burst into laughter immediately, but Sutton stayed in character, acting oblivious, just like Colonel Mustard.
Kilpatrick played the mysterious, constantly exasperated Mrs. White, a socialite and five-time widow. Not only was her costume my favorite, but her acting was also impeccable. Kilpatrick has truly mastered the annoyed blank stare. Anytime another character did something she found silly, she would give them a perfectly timed eye roll or dramatic sigh.
Tate fully embodied her character, Mrs. Peacock. From her costume to her body language to how she spoke, you almost forgot that she was a high school student in a wig. It felt like she could really be a politician’s wife. In one scene, where Mrs. Peacock believes she has been poisoned, Tate’s performance is theatrical and representative of her character. She screeched and clutched her chest, which felt perfect for her character.
DeVaux played Mr. Green, the nerdy scaredy-cat who ended up saving the day. Like Sutton, DeVaux provided amazing comedic relief. His character was terrified of just about everything. Every scream, every fall, every jump into another character’s arms was hilarious.
Rushing played Professor Plum, a sarcastic doctor with a sketchy past. Rushing’s delivery was on point. Whenever Colonel Mustard would say something idiotic and misogynistic, Professor Plum quickly delivered a supportive response. Rushing heavily contributed to the witty, natural flow of conversation characterized by this play.
Blackledge was the perfect choice to play Miss Scarlett – the proprietor of an escort service who is a brilliant woman despite everyone’s initial judgments. Miss Scarlett answers the boys’ outlandish remarks with witty comebacks. She also seemed to lead the search for clues in almost every scene, always coming up with ideas about where to search next. Blackledge understood the complexity of Miss Scarlett’s character and worked to portray the multiple aspects of her personality.
“I definitely think that her character design was meant to be underestimated. A lot of people would think that she’s kind of a bimbo and not the smartest,” Blackledge said, “With Wadsworth, if I [felt] like I [was] being one-upped by him, I [would] snap back. Or with Noah’s character… I would try to clap-back or show how annoyed I was with his character.”
The cast as a whole was stunning, and the performance completely blew me away. Truthfully, it felt like watching a movie. The quick delivery and timing were something I had never witnessed before in a play. This group of students was beyond talented, and I can’t wait to see their next project.
