Iola High School has taken a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, and turned it on its ear, with a few other delightful twists and turns along the way.
The high school drama department takes the Bowlus Fine Arts Center stage Thursday and Friday with “Deadline,” a murder mystery tale in which a group of eight writers of varying degrees of success are invited to a remote island mansion.
Their aim? To win a lucrative book deal by solving a murder — that hasn’t occurred yet.
That’s because the writers themselves are tasked with creating, (perhaps even committing) and then resolving the perfect murder. They have plenty of tools at their disposal for such a heinous plan, with their mansion riddled with escape doors, multiple weapons, and a shelf filled with various poisons at their disposal.
Alas, going any deeper into the plot would spoil a delightful tale of intrigue and subterfuge. Just when you think you’ve got it resolved, rest assured, you’ll need to think again.
THE ENSEMBLE proves the IHS acting stable is replete with skillful thespians, regardless of experience. The playbill relies on four seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen to put the story together.
Brecken Bycroft shines as Penelope Bain, half mystery writer, half digital influencer, eager to share her experiences via social media. (One hiccup; the island, stationed off the coast of Nova Scotia in the North Atlantic has no cell phone service).
Likewise, Ben Heiman and Sarah Ross are pitch-perfect as Deborah and Gregory, a husband-and-wife writing duo, albeit unsuccessful ones, eager for the book deal. She’s definitely the alpha of the partnership, which he often fails to realize. (Side note: Heiman’s Gregory is certain to draw a laugh or three as the story progresses.)
Freshman Logan Belknap shows off his considerable acting chops as Carswell Chalmers, an old-school pulp mystery writer, keen on sharing his brilliance with his colleagues, even if his frequent interruptions with odd-ball metaphors is unwanted.
Taegan Noyes sparkles as Vampetta, a gothic novelist with a hint of famed vamps Elvira and Morticia as her muse.
Another freshman, Aaliyah Rhodes, perfectly embodies Jennifer Milam, a folksy writer from Delaware who may be a bit more street smart than she lets on.
And in a play full of yuks, Jeffrey Ashworth earns his share as Zak, a college writing student who shows up solely because his writing professor is sick — not the good sick, he explains, but the bad sick.
Lastly, Evie Schooler shows, sort of out of nowhere, and not as a mystery writer, but more as a mystery, discouraging the writing troupe from partaking in the mystery. What are her motives?
THE “SUPPORTING” cast also deserves its share of the limelight.
Bella Rahming serves as Dellacroix, the butler/hostess who details the rules for the visiting authors, with just a dash of ambiguity, to keep the guests on their toes.
Kenneth Cline and Eliana Higginbotham are a hoot as Morris and Norris, the mansion’s butlers who bristle at being commanded.
