Agatha Christie’s riveting murder mysteries are being brought to life by Ursinus’s Theatre Department! In a double bill of the one-act plays The Patient and Afternoon by the Seaside, prepare for an evening of fun, plot twists, and of course – murder!
Afternoon by the Seaside takes place during a beach holiday when an emerald necklace goes missing and the Inspector must figure out who the thief is. The second one-act is The Patient. When Mrs. Wingfield falls from a second story balcony, the Inspector must figure out how she fell and if there is someone else responsible.
Both stories are guaranteed to keep you guessing who did it! Since both one-acts have no scene changes, each actor has the unique, fun, and sometimes tricky task of staying in character the whole time. Alexa Daiuto ’28 commented, “As soon as I go on stage, I do not leave and that’s the case for most of us. It definitely makes all of our choices matter. Everything we do matters, even the tiniest things like shifting in a chair – we can’t do that unless we think our character would do that at that moment. You got to be in character the whole time.” No movement is accidental, so as the audience you need to make sure you pay attention to everything because it might lead you to the culprit! Mel Petro ’27, who plays the Inspector in both plays, said “[the audience] should come ready to pay attention but hopefully they won’t solve it before I do! I need this job, you know!”
Having no scene changes also creates an interesting experience for the audience. “Because the scene doesn’t change and we are doing a one-act, it feels like we are dropped in the middle of the action and everyone doesn’t get background context,” explained Hannah Jeffers ’26. “We are learning things at the same time as the Inspector. […] it puts the audience in that position of solving the mystery,” added Petro.
The genre and writing aren’t the only aspects of the play that make the audience feel like a part of the action! The production will take place in the Blackbox theater where the audience is very close to the set and can see the actors up close. It is a much more intimate experience and makes the audience feel like they are also part of the story. “Having us all ‘trapped’ in a sense on the stage really adds to the atmosphere of all this because you are in the situation the characters are all in,” said Kiran Drew ’25. He continued and said, “People should come in ready to pay attention, since it’s a murder mystery they should definitely be watching everything that happens at all times.” There is no better place for a mystery where observing the actors is the key to the plot than the Blackbox!
Even though the Blackbox is so intimate, the Theater department does an amazing job transforming the space to feel like two completely different locations as if we have transported somewhere new between plays. “You will immediately notice an environment change, … The first one is set on a beach which is usually happy, and it is sort of a comedy mystery but the immediate switch to a hospital, people will probably be shocked,” explained Zach Curvan ’27. However, the physical setting isn’t the only thing that changes to set the new mood. There are strategic changes in lighting and music to create a complete mood shift.
All of this would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the theater department! The director, Dr. Brodie, explained that “what’s been wonderful is we have 20 actors in addition to a great stage management team. We have lots of production assistance. We have a lot of first year students working! So, it is an enormous ensemble effort. And folks get to see a lot of different talents on display.”
By coming to the play, you’re supporting the Theater Department and experiencing an evening full of plot twists, comedy, and drama! It is even encouraged to see the production more than once to get the full experience. “If you go to see the performance repeatedly you will notice a different thing every single time and more and more little details,” said Nate Ginet ’27. Opening night is Thursday, October 31 at 7:30pm. Just in time to put you in the Halloween mood! They will have shows November 1 and 2 at 7:30pm, and an ASL-interpreted production on November 3 at 2pm. Tickets are available for purchase online at Ticket leap or at the door! Can the Inspector solve both mysteries? Come see the production and find out!