Emmaus High School unveils its 2024 fall play, “Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express,” this weekend. Based on a 1934 Agatha Christie novel and adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig, EHS’ rendition of the performance will be presented 7 p.m. Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 in the high school auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the door and at a discounted rate for both students and senior citizens.

Led by Artistic Director/Producer Jill Kuebler and Assistant Director Diane DiDona, the play resembles Christie’s typical mystery writing. On the way to the city of Istanbul, heavy snowfall causes the Orient Express train to stop for the night. In the morning, one of the passengers has died under mysterious circumstances in what appears to be a killing, leaving it up to Detective Hercule Poirot to solve the murder mystery.

A cast and crew of over 60 students work to put on the production, including 10 cast members on stage. The play stars Charles Kenney as Poirot, Matthew McCambridge as Monsieur Bouc, Kyra Kelly as Helen Hubbard, Persia Mullay as Mary Debenham, Cullen Rowley as Colonel Arbuthnot and Samuel Ratchett, Dylan Dueh as Countess Andrenyi, Lila Schneider as Princess Dragomiroff, Aidan Bullard as Hector Macqueen, Madisyn Servais as Greta Ohlsson and Benjamin Wilks as Michel the conductor and head waiter.

Kenney, starring as Poirot (in his opinion, “the greatest and most famous detective in the world outside of Sherlock Holmes”), notes the difficulty of playing such a complex character.

“I guess my way of figuring out who he was is trying to understand why he does what he does because he’s such a good detective,” Kenney said. “So trying to understand his thought process and how he pieces evidence together, even down to details that aren’t written in the script was very important for me.”

Kenney first began his involvement in theater in fifth grade and has been a continuous member of play and musical productions since eighth grade. He hopes to continue with theater in college and is open to exploring possible majors involving skills he has learned through play productions.

Kelly, playing the flamboyant Hubbard, similarly finds joy in the complexities of the characters in the play.

“This is my first time being in a play and it’s been a bit of a learning curve to see how it is different from the musical theater genre,” Kelly said. “This show is very character-driven and every single person plays a key role in discovering the murderer.”

Kelly vividly remembers her journey to theater beginning from a young age.

“I started doing theater when I was in elementary school,” Kelly said. “I was in fourth grade and played Ms. Hannigan in “Annie” at Lincoln Elementary School.”

The action is not simply confined to the stage, however. Behind the scenes, a team of crew works tirelessly to ensure the play runs smoothly. Anna Smith is the production assistant for all EHS productions and takes on numerous responsibilities for her role. In addition to helping to organize rehearsals and take attendance, she works with stage managers during the show to troubleshoot and call cues, as well as several other administrative tasks. Smith has been a production assistant since her junior year and has been part of the stage crew since she was in sixth grade.

“Even though my position is a little more on the administrative side rather than creative, being able to see this tangible, creative project come to life through rehearsals is really cool,” Smith said. Smith, like Kenney and Kelly, also enjoyed making memories with the rest of the cast and crew.

“Each show requires so much time that the cast and crew become really close,” Smith said. “That community that is built in rehearsals is unlike any other community I’ve been a part of and that’s my favorite part.”

While the cast and crew work closely to create a seamless experience on stage, the play’s realism goes beyond just following cues and set changes. Actors must not only pretend to play the part, but truly feel it, according to Kenney.

“As actors, we are not pretending, per se, but what we’re doing on stage is extremely real to us as the actors,” he explained. “We are convincing ourselves, yes, ‘I am sad in this moment because something tragic has just happened in front of me,’ or ‘I’m happy because I’ve just met the love of my life.’”

Chris Kollar is responsible for set design and construction, Jabari Howard is the stage manager, costumes and properties design are by DiDona and Scaramouche Costumes, Dave Dougherty and Alexa Ebeling are responsible for lighting design, sound design by Dougherty and Abby Grube, stage technician is Mike Eisentraut, assistant stage managers are Joseph Ko and Rylie Newpher, volunteer coordinator is Anna Smith, house manager is Corinne Fecho, dialect coach is Céline Pissarra and wig and hair design is by Kim Danish.

“Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” is presented through arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc., www.concordtheatricals.com.

“We are thrilled to bring this murder mystery to our beloved Emmaus High School stage,” Kuebler said. “This production would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of every student involved, whether onstage or behind the scenes. Our students’ appreciation of theater as a vital art form that teaches collaboration, respect, and discipline constantly reaffirms my belief in the positive impact of the arts on the lives of young people. I am filled with pride at what they have accomplished, and I hope you will be too. Please enjoy the show and thank you, as always, for your support of the arts at Emmaus High School.”