advertisement

West Aurora theater to stage comedy-mystery

West Aurora Theatre Troupe 2013 will perform its winter play, "While the Lights Were Out" by Jack Sharkey, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19, in the West Aurora High School auditorium, 1201 W. New York St., Aurora.

Tickets can be purchased for $5 at sd129tickets.org and at the door. The show is directed by Sherry Becker and the stage crew is led by Sean Tait.

"While the Lights Were Out" follows the exploits of a group of eccentric and secretive people who are all meeting for dinner at the Bermuda home of Lord Clive and Lady Monica Wickenham. As Lady Monica and Lord Clive prepare for the guests' arrivals, the police suddenly show up at their door claiming they have received a tip that police would be needed on the premises that evening.

However, Clive and Monica did not summon them - so who did? As the various guests arrive, a wild storm brews outside that eventually knocks the lights out in a loud crack of lightning and thunder. Chaos ensues in the darkness, and when the lights return, what the guests and police find is nothing short of terrifying and confounding.

It leaves them all wondering: what did exactly happen while the lights were out?

Throughout the rehearsal process, the cast has risen to the various challenges that this script presents. With a dominantly young cast, Becker knew that some parts of the show would be difficult to tackle, but she has been impressed with the level of dedication and work ethic the cast possesses.

"Pulling off a murder mystery with so many unique and colorful characters is quite a feat in itself," she said. "And, on top of that, the vocabulary in the show is unusually difficult. But, from the get-go, this cast has approached all of these obstacles with the confidence and flexibility of veteran actors, and I could not be more proud of them."

Come and find out what really happened when the lights went out.

Freshman Aubrie Christiansen (Chloe Custardine), freshman David Simpson (Algernon Wickenham), and freshman Kate Robertson (Bibi Cavendish) rehearse a scene from "While the Lights Were Out." Courtesy of West Aurora High School
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.