This spring, Agatha Christie’s iconic muder-mystery, The Mousetrap, will be brought to life by Saxon Stage. The play revolves around eight strangers who are trapped in the guesthouse Monkswell Manor by a snowstorm. However, among them is a murderer, who recently killed a woman named Maureen Lyon and has two more names on their hitlist to cross out. The Mousetrap is a combination of humor and seriousness characteristic of Agatha Christie, which is why the director, Brian Kaufman, chose it as Saxon Stage’s spring play.

“I love a murder mystery. I feel like it is engaging for the students and engaging for the audience. And when I’m picking plays, I like to have variety,” theater teacher and director of Saxon Stage Brian Kaufman said.

Moreover, because the play has only eight characters, carefully choosing the actors was crucial for the production. During the casting process, Kaufman looked for a solid and cohesive group of actors. Additionally, he paid special attention to chemistry between potential castmates.

“I’m also looking for cast members that work well together and kind of feed off each other’s energies, [especially] with reactions,” Kaufman said.

Furthermore, senior Josephin Friedrich was cast as Mollie Ralston, a leading role. Ralston is the proprietor of Monkswell Manor and serves as a middleman between the characters. Friedrich was chosen for this role because of her work ethic and preparedness, as well as her balance as a performer.

“[Friedrich] has a wealth of knowledge, but she also has a nice balance in this role of being serious and dramatic but not over the top,” Kaufman said.

From the beginning, Friedrich wanted to play Ralston, but she was initially not chosen for a callback. However, Kaufman later asked her to read for the character, and eventually, she was cast as Ralston. Friedrich was interested in the character because she deviated from the track of the average housewife in the 1950s.

“I think for a woman in the 1950s she’s probably a little more independent and in charge than I think a woman in the 1950s would be; I really like her,” Friedrich said.

One of the most beloved characters in The Mousetrap is Paravicini. Paravicini is an old Italian man whose car was overturned in the snowdrift, and who is now stranded at Monkswell Manor. The character is especially known for his humor.

“I would have to say Paravicini is probably the silliest one of them all,” Kaufman said.
“He is this Italian kind of mysterious character who says he’s kind of a showman and very mysterious and kind of kooky … I find him the most engaging.”

Zachary Ulman was cast for Paravicini, and Yann Lam was cast as his understudy. Both actors were chosen for their prowess with the Italian accent. In addition, they brought out the character’s mysteriousness and humor through their body language and vocal inflection.

“Zach Ulman, who plays Paravicini in the play, does such an amazing job embodying the character. I’ve heard so much of the Italian accent; it’s hilarious, and I can’t keep it together in rehearsals,” Friedrich said.

The cast members, a total of sixteen of them including the understudies, meet up every other day and work together for three hours to prepare for their performance. However, the actors are just one part of the production. The ensemble also includes the tech crew.

“The students work so hard, everything that you see on stage, backstage, all the advertising materials, the lighting, the set is all being created and constructed by the students at Langley, so it’s a pretty impressive product that we produce,” Kaufman said.

The talented cast of The Mousetrap are gearing up for their performance in late April. Now, it is up to the audience to support them.

“I always look forward to a filled theater for the students to perform in…There’s always a lull in every kind of rehearsal journey where, like, we’ve hit a certain point, and now we need a live audience to give that extra fuel and energy,” Kaufman said.