Clarke Student Theatre Production Premieres April 19 & 20

Clarke University invites the community to The Eggscruciating Dinner: A Hare-Raising Murder Mystery on April 19 and 20. Performances are free to attend and will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Jansen Music Hall. 

The comedic play is an original work from Clarke students Sara Theisen and Kayla Weller. The audience will join the Smith family for Easter dinner, where tensions run high and someone’s head lands on a silver platter. Accusations fly as the family tries to solve the case and Granny’s secret recipes aren’t the only things that will be revealed. Attendees will also get in on the fun as the characters plead their case and allow the audience to decide their fate. 

“We had a lot of fun writing it and seeing it come to life through the actors,” Kayla said. “Sara and I developed the script over winter break, and we’ve been fine-tuning it through rehearsals. Everyone has been contributing ideas and it’s been a really collaborative process.” 

The Eggscruciating Dinner is the first production led by Cast & Crew, a new student organization on campus. With support from faculty advisors, students interested in all aspects of theatre, from writing, direction, set design, and performance, can get involved.  

“We wanted to give students a space to engage in theatre. We will host performances on campus, and as the club develops, we want to be able to attend other productions in the area, too. It’s about that shared experience and love of theatre in all its forms,” said Sophia Wilson, who serves on the organization’s executive board. 

While the event is free, Cast & Crew will be accepting donations to support the club. Those attending Saturday’s performance can arrive early and enjoy ClarkeFest, the university’s free annual street fair, from 4-7 p.m. Each performance will also be livestreamed: 

View Friday’s performance: https://youtube.com/live/5c2Ha7tNqJo?feature=share 

View Saturday’s performance: https://youtube.com/live/bVN98laZgdU?feature=share