Aurora students present a ‘whodunnit’

Aurora High School’s cast and crew are all aboard as they spend their final week making final touches to this year’s spring play, “Murder on the 518” by Michelle Giles, a comical murder mystery sharing the rails of the Orient Express. Performances are set for Friday and Saturday evenings. The middle school doors will open to the public at 6:35 p.m. and curtain time is 7 p.m.
“Everybody is traveling to LA for various reasons and out of nowhere, someone mysteriously dies,” explained Bradyn Roebuck, student director. “We have a private investigator on the train to help try and solve the mystery as everybody else pitches in the best they can with sprinkled humor, mystery and surprise. I think it will bring joy to everybody.”
The play was chosen by drama director Karrie Wiarda and assistant director Kim Wanek for the story’s “modern and relaxed Orient Express-type of mystery.”
“Every year, I always read through tons and tons of scripts and then this year I narrowed it down to about three or four and then shared what I had with my assistant director, Mrs. Wanek and then we just kind of decided on this it seemed to fit,” Wiarda stated.
With a variety of characters ranging from a pompous movie starlet to a focused private detective, the play provides an opportunity for the students to grow as actors and crew.
“I do have some experienced actors and some kids who are experienced in speech, so they have just a great presence on stage,” Wiarda said. “I’m looking forward to that and then bringing on some younger ones to build them up for the future as well.”
With production taking place since the beginning of January, students both new and experienced were eager to give their all to their roles.
“I had to learn how to move around the scenes while also not being distracted from the main focus,” said Abbey Wendt, who plays Sydney Bennett, a pesky paparazzo. “I had to prepare for my character being sneaky and suspicious.”
For actors such as Sofia Hendrickson, who plays astronomy professor, Holly Barnes, she enjoyed being able to flesh out her character more with each new practice.
“It’s been fun working with this role, I’ve really enjoyed the sassy yet rule-following attitude this character has,” Hendrickson stated. “It was challenging to try and capture parts of her more mature nature, while keeping her spunky and interesting.”
While nobody’s roles were the same, every student shared the same challenges that often left the students’ missing their castmates or fellow crew members.
“It’s been something we’ve had between extended snow days due to weather or everybody’s schedules making it so that no one can show up,” Roebuck stated. 
With opening night approaching, Wendt and her castmates are ecstatic to show the audience the hilarity and mystery of “Murder on the 518.”
“I am so excited for the community to see what we have been working on,” Wendt stated. “I love all of the characters and I can’t wait to see what people think of the show.”
Wanting to add more excitement to the mix, the spring play production will also host a whodunnit raffle for the audience to participate in.
“They will be given a ticket, then at intermission they can write down their name and put their name in a bucket for who they think the murderer is,” Wiarda explained. “At the end of the play, we’re going pull for prizes from the ones who chose correctly.”
The drama director said the prizes range from a Clue board game to a graphic novel of “Murder of the Orient Express” and certificates for travel games from Escape Aurora.
“I’m excited for people to be able to make their own speculation about who the murderer is and use clues to piece it all together,” Hendrickson said. “There’s also so many humorous parts that people will definitely find amusing.”
Roebuck commented that after all the workaround between snow days and school events, he’s proud of his cast and crew for “bringing the story to life.”
“First night, we just had a run-through of lines and no one really gave that much of an effort,” he explained. “But as we’ve been going through each night, giving this person this thing to do or try, overall everybody’s worked together. We’ve made that chemistry, we’ve made it so that the line delivers, some still need work, but overall, they’ve done really well. They’ve made it so that it’s something that everybody can be proud of.”
Along with the hard work put together by her cast and crew, Wiarda wanted to thank Wanek and Roebuck for helping bring the play to life, as well as choir director Jason Frew who will be assisting in sound and lights for the play and the school for helping make the play possible. 
The production includes the following cast members: Abbey Wendt as Sydney Bennett; Jordyn Wells as Rachel Knox; Lucas Talkington as Caleb Knox; Scott Bennett as Elliot Williams; Martin Holke as Mike Umbarr; Sofia Hendrickson as Holly Barnes; Ansley Harvey as Laurne Maloney; Lena Groetzinger as Abby Wells; Atticus Miller as Nelson Henry; Sam Elge as Owen Casey; Trent Stevens as Derek Warren; Aurora Hamilton as Jennifer Warren; Kim Evans as Avery Millen; Jorja Pohlmeier as Jillian Hill; Jessica Rodriguez as Isabella Madison; Sophie Etherton as Lucy Blake; James Dieckman as Conductor; Ryan Johnson as Ticket Seller One, Sous Chef One and Traveler (Opening Scene); Derek Wilson as Ticket Seller Two and Traveler (Opening and Closing Scene); Kaitlyn McLaughlin as Waiter One and Traveler (Opening and Closing Scene); Jacob Inman as Waiter Two, Sous Chef Two and Police Officer One; Calvin Miller as Waiter Three and Police Officer 2; Jitse Valkenburg as Executive Chief; Ryan Johnson as Sous Chef One; Bradyn Roebuck as Traveler (Opening Scene); Kate Glinn as Travel (Opening and Closing Scene).
The crew includes, Student Director, Bradyn Roebuck; Set & Backstage, Heather Beckman, James Dieckmann, Kim Evans, Emma Heckmann, Aurora Hamilton, Torie Johnson, Nils Lendi, Cameron Logue, Jeris Rathbun, Hannah Vermillion and Abbey Wendt; Props, Jeris Rathburn and Hannah Beckman; Hair & Makeup, Alex Bjorkman, Emma Broman, Chloe Fawver, Emma Heckman, Torie Johnson, Gentri Rasmussen, Hannah Vermillion and Kaetlyn Young; Advertising, Programs, T-Shirts, Bradyn Roebuck, Scott Bennett and Chloe Fawver.
Admission to the show is $5.