The comedy was a welcome return.
Upper School thespians took to the Ball Theater for Penn Charter's first in-person production since February 2020. The Alibis was performed for a limited audience on Nov. 5 and 6, with cast members donning transparent plastic masks to allow for greater expression within the limitations of covid protocols.
Theater teacher Eva Kay Noone directed The Alibis, a comedy-mystery about the murder of an eccentric billionaire and the attempt to identify the culprit among a group of equally eccentric suspects. The play consists of eight 10-minute plays designed to be performed in any order and combination. Choosing The Alibis was a “no-brainer” for Noone: “I knew I could make this work in some shape or form. Not to mention it brings a lot of joy to the community,” she said, evoking PC’s theme for the 2021-22 school year, “because it’s hysterically funny.”
Noone invited PC faculty and staff to record the voice-over parts that are called for throughout the script, and these low-time-commitment roles allowed for more adult participation than in previous productions. All told, The Alibis featured 14 faculty and staff members, with three actually appearing on stage. The production also included Noone’s costume design class, which helped with alterations; the Upper School 2D design class, which created art for the programs; and two Middle School students who took on roles in the cast and crew.
