Ursinus College Theater Presents Agatha Christie Double Bill

In Agatha Christie’s Afternoon at the Seaside, a priceless emerald necklace goes missing and everyone enjoying a beach holiday becomes a suspect. In The Patient, after falling from second-story balcony, Mrs. Wingfield, narrowly escaping death, is hospitalized and it is Inspector Cray’s job to investigate whether Mrs. Wingfield fell, jumped, or was pushed.

Ursinus College Theater presents this exciting double bill of Agatha Christie thrillers just in time for Halloween.

Performances are Thursday October 31, Friday November 1; and Saturday November 2 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday November 3 at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit ursinus.edu/tickets.

These two one-act plays are directed by Ursinus Associate Professor of Theater Meghan Brodie ’00 and are performed in the Black Box Studio Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus College campus. The matinee on November 3 will be ASL-interpreted.

“I have never had an opportunity to direct work by Agatha Christie and wanted to provide a lot of acting opportunities for the students of our growing theater program,” Brodie said. “These two one-act plays seemed ideal—they include over twenty dynamic roles to challenge students and they offer audiences both a comedic mystery and a dramatic thriller. I hope our audiences are as delighted by Agatha Christie’s storytelling as I am.”

Each performance includes both plays and features the talents of not just Ursinus College students, but also professional designers. Associate Professor Shannon Zura designed the set, lights, and sound for this double bill while Millie Hiibel returned to Ursinus to design nearly two dozen costumes for the plays’ early 1960s settings.

As a part of the theater program’s extensive experiential learning opportunities, students gain first-hand experience in a variety of production positions. Working with these professional designers, Caitlin Shanahan ’26 is stage managing with two first-year assistant stage managers, Danica Guydish ’28 and Ane Hayes ’28. Anna Cisler ’27 joins the team as dramaturg; Serro Curley is the production assistant; Sadie Walker ’25 is assisting Zura with the sound design; and Yadi Padilla and Taylor Pahulick are working on props.

“I have loved working with well over two dozen students, including many first-year students. Their commitment and enthusiasm are unparalleled. The community we have built together is one that will sustain students throughout their time at Ursinus. This community-building is one of the most rewarding parts of directing young artists,” Brodie remarked.

Mel Petro ’27 plays the Inspector in both plays. As Agatha Christie’s mysteries unfold, will the audience solve the crime before the Inspector does? Or before the perpetrator strikes again?

Put your crime-solving skills to the test and reserve your tickets at ursinus.edu/tickets.