“A Murder Mystery Comedy”. This is Deadline, the fall play that Westmont Theatre is performing for the 2024-2025 school year, and it falls nothing short of its description.
Deadline follows the story of a group of eight writers stuck stranded on an island. The island is that of a dead famous writer. Invited to the island, the writers participate in a game. The prize? A book deal with a publisher. Times are seemingly hard for these writers and their eyes are on that prize. However, the game unexpectedly reveals a deep twist. A dangerous twist at that, which the contestants have 24 hours to play. Will all the writers make it out alive? What mystery has been set into play? The show features a variety of characters that never fail to spice up the show. From an old, misogynistic “has-been,” to a young social media influencer, there isn’t a character not to like. Although suspenseful, the show is quite comedic and the cast plays their roles perfectly, smoothly mixing the drama in with the comedy. From November 14 to November 23 you can see Deadline for yourself (Buy Tickets Here!).
The moment I walked into the theater, I was amazed. I attended the showing on November 14. Deadline, the first show I’ve seen from the Westmont Theatre Program, did not disappoint! The quality and attention to detail of the set left me amazed. The behind-the-scenes work should not be undermined. I’m still questioning how they make these sets! Deadline is extremely unique, as it features only one scene. There are two Acts set in the same setting. The setting is the Great Room of the Braxton mansion on a rural island, off the coast of Nova Scotia. The “Great Room” is nothing short of grand, hence its name. The room has a multitude of props, even featuring a working staircase and two secret doors.
The talent of Westmont Theatre has left me in awe. The playing is double-casted, meaning that each character is cast by two people who rotate performing at shows. My favorite characters of the show were the married couple of Gregory Haskins and Deborah Haskins. Played by Logan Mendelson/Myles Mormon and Allyson Jezyk/Isabella Hunter Quintero, the Haskins couple are from New Jersey and have a quite rugged relationship. The timid and cowardly Gregory Haskins has a complicated, but seemingly loving relationship with his drained and smart wife Deborah Haskins. What amazes me most is how the people I know from my day-to-day life seemingly shift and become completely new people in the play. When asked how he prepares for his meticulous role, Logan Mendelson replied, “I kinda just shift into character. Sometimes just like jokingly throughout the day with friends. And just like in general I’ll just slip in and out of character so it’s kind of just like seamless when I do it.”. Additionally, when questioned if there were any challenges they faced as an individual or as a cast when preparing for the show, Logan Mendelson and Allyson Jezyk responded saying, “I had a quite big chunky and meaty line and it’s just like a lot and a challenge and it was fun to try that like in different ways and see how to make the audience laugh” and “I think it was challenging because my character has a new jersey accent and learning to speak in that accent and that dialect and learning to find background moments to be funny when others are acting because others are acting the whole time and you can’t just do nothing”. The amount of preparation and practice the actors put into Deadline helped them shine brightly and encapsulate themselves as if they weren’t one of us but actually from the play.
Two more characters were Brenda, played by Emi Gruender and Otra Phillips, and Vampetta, played by Maansi Sharma and Sadie Evans. The wacky character Brenda and her random but intense outbursts left me in laughter. Otra responded when asked how she connects with her character saying, “I kinda am my character. I just kinda try and come up with things that I think would be funny personally.” On the opposite end, Vampetta, a famous gothic writer, brings all the attitude. Maansi and Sadie both portray this character so well and bring their uniqueness to the character.
To wrap it up, Deadline is a thrilling mix of suspense and comedy, with standout performances and a truly impressive set. From its cleverly twisted plot to the talented cast’s incredible transformations, this show is a must-see. Westmont Theatre has truly outdone itself with this production, and I do not doubt that audiences will be on the edge of their seats. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience the mystery and the laughs—grab your tickets and catch Deadline before it’s over!
More responses from interviews!
Question: Were there any difficulties when preparing for the show, if so what was the hardest part?
Answer: “Yes, the hardest part about this show is learning to work with multiple people playing the same part. Another thing is being on stage for practically the whole show which I’ve never done before because usually you’re on for only a few scenes but for this one from the moment I entered you’re on for the whole act”. – Elle Seguin, Jennifer Milam, a self-publisher of numerous books from the South.
Question: Who is your favorite character from the play?
Answer: “My favorite character is Penelope because I play her and I’ve grown to be very fond of her. She matches my personality very well and she’s very underestimated throughout the whole show”. – Shelly Yoffe, Penelope Bain, a young influencer and huge fan of the famous writer Braxton.
Question: If you could play any other character who would you play?
Answers: “I would play Jennifer or Carswell. I would play Jennifer because I think she would be so funny as a Deep South woman and Carswell would be so funny as a Deep South Southern black man”. – Otra Phillips, Brenda.
“Carswell because he’s a really interesting character but I would take a more “Uncle Joe” approach from the Madea”. – Myles Mormon, Gregory Haskins.
“I really wanted to be Penelope when auditioning because she’s such a great character and she has so much more depth to her.” – Maansi Sharma, Vampetta.