ACTS’ “The Murder Room” delivers sold-out satire

A student-led play featuring British accents, prop pistols and a satirical take on “locked-room” mysteries sold out this past weekend. 

“The Murder Room,” written by Jack Sharkley and produced by the Augustana Collaborative Theatrical Society (ACTS), was performed from March 26–28 at the Mary Harum Hart Actor’s Studio. Students and members of the surrounding community came to fill every seat, and each night the actors delivered the same exuberant energy — with a touch of satire. 

The performance plays on the classic trope of a young woman marrying an old, wealthy man, hoping to kill him to inherit his estate. In this rendition, the protagonist is also having an affair with the man who happens to be the detective at the scene of her husband’s attempted murder. 

The storyline follows the family, along with other comedic characters, attempting to unravel the disappearance of Edgar Hollister. With obvious mishaps and a satirical approach to solving a mystery, the case is not solved seamlessly: it appears the man was never dead at all, and his wealth may have been a lie.

Directed by junior theatre major Liv Moeller and planned by ACTS, the production was rewarding for both student actors and those who managed it.

“I selected the show and submitted it last year," Moeller said. "Then they picked it, so this has just been a really lovely and enlightening experience for me. I think that’s part of the reason why it’s so special, because of how much I’ve learned. There’s obviously ups and downs to the process, and not everything is 100% all the time, but honestly, I don't know if I would have had it another way.”

Moeller was in constant communication with actors and those behind the scenes, ensuring rehearsals and the final production ran smoothly. Moeller explained that she owed the success to her peers, and while mentoring them, was taught that it was alright to rely on a team — each moment, no matter how stressful, offered some form of peace.

“Something that I hope students take away from this is that through frustrating and difficult times, we can always take a second to sit back and relax and laugh,” Moeller said. “Whether you’re talking about the state of our world currently or just the state of your life, theatre is such an escape sometimes, and that’s another reason why I chose a comedic show.”

With the ultimate goal of reflecting the diverse interests and needs of students, ACTS accepts and reviews submissions for productions. It is a student-led theatre organization at Augustana where individuals join, attend meetings and take on roles in productions to better prepare them for their careers post-graduation.

The group differentiates itself from typical theatre productions by allowing actual students to lead each performance. Dan Workman, associate professor of theatre, is only there to answer questions or to offer guidance. 

“ACTS kind of operates a little bit like a theatre company,” Workman said. “They have an artistic director, business manager and a stage manager, technical director, all those things. Members of the board then make sure that the students are in positions that correspond to what their leadership is, are led, and have the resources and are mentored through that process.”

Workman said ACTS has been around for decades but believes “The Murder Room” stands out due to the students' passion for producing it.

“I think this one had a lot of heart in it — the students and the productions themselves, the people who push to get things done and the student who is leading this team,” Workman said. 

With the play set in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, the outfits worn were essential to convincing the audience of the time period. Sophomore art major and costumes manager Mikayla Browning brought this to the stage.

“I heard that, and I said, ‘Okay, 70s, extravagant?’ Heck yeah. I’m on it,” Browning said.

Browning explained she wanted each character to be larger than life, but with only seven roles and a single one that required multiple costume changes, she was limited. Browning and Moeller decided they wanted to assign a specific color to each individual to further personalize the performance. This was a particular struggle for the leading lady, Mavis, for whom the two chose white clothing.

“Little did I know I'd have the challenge of trying to find anything white in a 70s style, because that's just simply not what the 70s were,” Browning said. “The 70s were bright. They were patterns. There was so much loud clothing, and white just wasn't a thing that you could find.”

Browning found many items in what theatre students have nicknamed the “costume dungeon,” a room filled with seemingly endless racks of old clothes. Then she sought help from friends closets, thrift stores and even the USF theatre department.

Her utmost priority as costumes manager, Browning said, was to ensure her actors were comfortable in their clothes while doing the “wild” activities the production required: getting picked up, lying on the set couch or jumping around the stage.

“I absolutely adore this show,” Browning said. “It's so funny, so silly, and I'm happy that I got to be a part of making it into the amazing production that it turned out to be. And I have a huge thank you in my heart to everyone who put in the time and effort to make this show come to fruition, because this show is 100% done, led and acted in by students.”