The Show Goes On(line): Agatha Christie Murder Mystery Offered on Zoom by Rochester Students

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When schools statewide were initially closed in March, Rochester High School drama teacher Doug West recalled dismissing the cast of “Harvey Girls” thinking opening night of May 1 was still completely doable.

Fabric was in the process of being turned into costumes and cowboy boots and hats had already been purchased. A bright green cactus had already been painted on the back wall. And the cast, including several graduating seniors, had just completed the choreography for the first scene.

“I was kind of naïve,” West recalled. “It was the end of rehearsal and I said, ‘OK, we might get shut down for a couple weeks but remember what you just did here because we’re going to be back at it soon.’ ”

But that cast would not be returning. Several weeks later, what started as a temporary closure became a shutdown of all physical schooling for the rest of the year. The Wests got to see the outgoing drama seniors when they volunteered to help at graduation but there were no cast parties, no speeches and no chance for them to take that one last bow on the high school stage.

“It was very sad and there were a lot of broken hearts,” said Doug West’s wife, Elizabeth West, who has been writing plays for the Rochester drama department for more than 15 years. “One of our actors says he was in six and one-half shows.”

The 2020-2021 school year beginning digitally certainly created a challenge for drama departments, but the Wests said they had long decided the show must go on. Rochester High School drama will be presenting a virtual version of the classic Agatha Christie tale of suspense “And Then There Were None” Nov. 20-21, a show auditioned, rehearsed and performed 100 percent online.

“We’re diehards,” Doug West said. “Doing a show was not the question. How we were going to do it was always the challenge.” 

The story, loosely adapted from the classic Agatha Christie novel of the same name, had been planned as the fall 2020 play for the high school and the Wests said since it is a show with minimal action, they realized it could work in an online platform. The story revolves around a group of strangers trapped on an island, apparently with a murderer in their midst. As they work to determine who is committing murders, they also learn about what brought them all together through the murderer’s use of a children’s rhyme. The Rochester High School drama version will feature: Eric Ferrente as the narrator; Skyler Maki as Vera Edge; Brandon Ryniker as Phillip Lombard; Josh Hansen as Judge Lawrence Warren; Damon Andersen as Scott Marshall; Aleena Hurd as Dr. Audra Mender; and Julie Danielson as Carolyn Blunt. 



Elizabeth West, because the format of the play is virtual, added the character of a narrator to help audiences understand the action. And with only nine students able to be part of the show, many due to more difficult school work and job obligations, she and Doug are also helping fill in roles.

“It’s exciting because it gives us an opportunity to practice what we preach,” she said.

The Rochester High School production of “And Then There Were None” will premiere this Friday and Saturday on the Zoom platform Webinar, which allows cast members to be active panelists rather than just watching the meeting along with the audience. There will be two acts in five scenes. The students will be performing the show live from the school, socially distanced. Elizabeth West explained that the school building provides a consistently strong internet connection and enough room for the cast members to be far enough apart.

“Unfortunately, there’s no laughter, no applause, so we’ve tried to warn the kids they’re not going to have those reactions to play off of,” Elizabeth West said.

In addition to online performances, Rochester drama’s version of “And Then There Were None” also held all auditions and rehearsals via Zoom. Elizabeth West noted that an online show has the benefit of having just a few props and no costuming, which gave them the time they needed to work with cast members on voices and facial expressions, which will be extremely important. She also said she sees the experience having benefits for the students not just in their acting chops but also in other venues. The global COVID-19 pandemic has made many companies look closer at work from home opportunities and many companies were already using platforms such as Webinar and Webex to hold meetings. 

“Being able to converse over something like Webex is something they’re going to have to be able to do in the future,” she said.

The performances will also be recorded and posted on the Rochester High School Drama Facebook page for anyone who misses the live versions. All performances are free and open to the public. The Wests said no matter what school may look like for the rest of the year, they are already planning to offer some sort of musical in the spring.

“We’re just doing it as an educational opportunity,” Elizabeth West said. “It’s for (the students). That’s where our hearts are.”