"Murder After Hours" is a classic whodunit

Scene on stage, by Justin Walls

The latest Valley Performing Arts production, Agatha Christie's Murder After Hours, comes just in time for the Halloween season, although this performance is just plain fun no matter when you see it.

It is a classic murder mystery, and one that is carried out well on the Fred and Sara Machetanz Theatre stage by Valley Performing Arts. I've become accustomed to fine theater being presented during my two years as a Valley resident, and once again, VPA didn't let me down.

This is the first "interactive" performance I have seen, and it is a unique and fun way for the audience to get involved. And while I didn't guess the character that did it, and subsequently didn't win a gift certificate for ice cream, the feature was lots of fun for all.

The thing that makes this mystery such a delight is that you really don't know who committed the murder until the very end. Each character has a motive. It is a wonderful storyline, and the cast carries it out perfectly. With a storyline like this, if you have one actor who lags behind the rest of the cast performance-wise, the entire show is ruined because it disrupts the flow of the mystery. In Murder After Hours, the cast comes through with tremendous performances all the way around. There was no weak link in this chain, as director Larry Bottjen has this fine cast working together from the opening rise of the curtain.

When watching the whodunit unfold on the stage, it is easy to forget about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into such a performance. Take time to enjoy the costumes, the set and the lighting. All are important to the story, but like I said, when you get caught up in trying to figure out the mystery, it is easy to disregard these important things.

All the way around, Murder After Hours is another hit for VPA. If you didn't catch it before Halloween, don't worry. If you like mysteries, this is a must-see, regardless of the date.

So who committed the murder? There's only one way to find out -- head down to the Fred and Sara Machetanz Theatre and figure it out yourself, if you dare.

Justin Walls is a Wasilla resident. He reviewed VPA's "The Rivals" last year.

Tickets for Murder After Hours, at $16.50 for adult and $14 for youth/seniors, are available at all CARRS TIX outlets or by calling 1-800-478-7328.

Student rush tickets, at half the adult price, $8.25, are available at the door 10 minutes before the curtain rises on a seat-available basis. Thursday student discount prices are $5. For more information, call Valley Performing Arts at 373-0195.