This past week on Nov. 16 and 18, MTPA ran their production of “But Why Bump Off Barnaby.” This murder mystery comedy followed seven acquaintances spending the night in an old mansion in England: Magnolia (Addison Journey), a sassy maid; Medkins (Jayden Gonzalez), a serenely capable butler; Orion Leduc (Ashton Hall), an arthritic British baronet; Barnaby Folcey (RJ Scacalossi), a poor relation of the Leducs, Lady Barbara Fenwick (Abby Kimani), a rather deaf peeress; Rosalind Barstow (Lily Reaser), a flamboyant fortune-hunter; Cleo Barton (Abby Bekele), a middle-aged Hollywood actress; Jeff Barnett (Matthew Lubin), an intrepid police reporter; Miss Barnsdale (Grace Kline), an old nearsighted family governess; and Dora Dunstock (Abby Piper), an adorable young dimwit. After the poor Barnaby is bumped off, the rest of the family is set to find the murderer in the group before any more tragedy strikes.
Each student played their role perfectly, as they stayed true to their character’s distinct personality and made the audience laugh numerous times with witty jokes and puns. In my opinion, Piper and Kimani performed some of the best parts of the production. Piper mastered her adorably daffy character, making her amusing and one of my favorites in the production. Kimani’s witty jokes and well timed confusion made her scenes most memorable to the audience. The last special mention goes to Bekele, who’s back and forth bickering with Reaser’s character, Rosalind, added comical drama.
The production transported the audience to a mysterious, old estate with its detailed set, costumes, and effects. Revolving doors and secret passageways made the experience everything you’d expect of a classic whodunnit. The creative talents of the members in the crew were clearly displayed in the production.
There were multiple twists and turns throughout the play, so audience members had to be listening intently and paying attention to solve the murder. The plot was dramatic and suspenseful, as suspects were constantly switching and accusations were tossed around from person to person. Like many others, I found the ending shocking and unexpected.
This year’s production of “But Why Bump Off Barnaby” was truly excellent and showcased so many students’ wonderful talents and artistic skills on the stage. The audience had fun making guesses for the culprit of the murder and thoroughly enjoyed the hilarious murder mystery.
Congratulations to the cast and crew of this great production; you definitely killed it!
