Jared Seidler, Madelyn Curtin, David Patterson, Carter Williams, Jr., and (seated) Chad Costa and Renee Fortier only make up about half the cast for the upcoming production of “Any Number Can Die.”
After performing in several lighthearted productions, the Lawrence High School Theater Company wanted to mix things up for the upcoming fall play. That mentality helped theater director Lorie Baldwin discover the mysterious production Any Number Can Die by Fred Carmichael.
“I read a bunch of murder mysteries because we haven’t done one in awhile and the students were asking to do something kind of spooky this year,” said Baldwin, who also teaches theater classes at LHS.
Baldwin said Any Number Can Die is a murder mystery comedy set in the 1920s on an island off the coast of North Carolina. After the reading of a will, power is lost before it becomes clear who will inherit a lavish mansion on the island, leading to various murders by a mysterious robed character.
“I don’t want to give too much away,” Baldwin said. “But [the murder scenes] are all funny…You find out the kids’ identities by the end of the play.”
The set design will be almost as complex as the story itself, incorporating several trap doors and hidden, secret passageways throughout. With the help of Baldwin’s husband, Chris, a biology teacher at the school, the students have been able to assemble the stage.
Baldwin said there are about 40 students working on this year’s fall production, including 25 students on stage crew and a cast of 15. This includes Kevin Quis, a junior taking part in his fifth play at LHS.
“The whole cast is experimenting with it, different things,” said Quis, who plays both a clumsy detective and a creepy butler in different scenes. “Every day somebody has something new to add, and it’s fun.”
As of press time, the students had memorized the script while adding sound and music cues. Baldwin said the cast and crew rehearse almost five days a week, with longer days as the performance dates near.
“[The students] love to be there, so if there’s a day we’re not rehearsing, they wonder why,” Baldwin said. “It’s like a sport. They want to be there and it’s fun. It’s camaraderie.”
All the time and effort will pay off on Nov. 21-23, with performances each night at 7 p.m. at Lawrence High School. Tickets are $5 for students and $6 for adults.
“[The play] is very entertaining,” Quis said. “I’m sure the audience will really get a kick out of it and they’ll be wondering until the very end who is the criminal of the show.”
—Tom Smeaton
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