Students who would like to audition should pick up an audition packet in Mrs. Peabody’s classroom (SC5) during break or lunch. The packet will help you prepare for the production process, and will include all the proper forms to bring to your audition. Here are some important dates to remember:

Auditions will be held in SC5 from 4:00-5:30 pm on Wednesday, August 28. To prepare for auditions, you will need to memorize and perform one monologue of your choice. Your monologue should be comedic and about 1 minute in length.

Helpful Hint: Know the plot, style, and characters before auditions. (For example, auditioning with a comedic monologue about a valley girl going shopping in the 1990s does not help the director see what you can contribute to a dramatic comedy, murder mystery set in the 1930s).  Many of you may be familiar with the movie adaptation which is dramatic, however, the play still has a comedic and whitty spin in the writing. Strong actors show that they put the work into their preparation. Work ethic is highly important as you make an impression in the audition room! 

If you have any questions about the audition process, please reach out to Mrs. Peabody at l_peabody@mhs-hs.org. 

 

What is Murder on the Orient Express about? Here’s a synopsis:

Famous detective Hercule Poirot is called back from Istanbul to London on urgent business. He intends to book a first-class compartment on the Orient Express, run by his former friend and colleague, Monsieur Bouc. The train is surprisingly full, but Bouc manages to secure Poirot a spot in the first-class cabin. While aboard the Orient Express, Poirot meets a host of peculiar characters: an aging Russian princess, her Swedish companion, a Hungarian countess, a Minnesota housewife, a Scottish colonel, an English governess, a French conductor, a disagreeable American businessman, and his anxious secretary. While aboard the train, the angry businessman, Samuel Ratchett, corners Poirot and demands Poirot to investigate a series of ominous letters that have been sent to Ratchett, threatening his life.

As a snowdrift halts the Orient Express in its tracks, Ratchett is found stabbed multiple times in his locked train compartment. Poirot is tasked by Monsieur Bouc to solve the murder, as the killer could still be in their midst. As Poirot investigates, conflicting clues and convoluted alibis lead him to dead ends. Over the course of 48 hours, will Poirot be able to solve the case of the Murder on the Orient Express?