Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD
History has weight. Director Marcus Muzopappa acknowledged that history on opening night of The Old Schoolhouse Players’ production of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, The Mousetrap. The Mousetrap is the longest-running show in the world. Since 1952, it has played continuously in London’s West End (aside from a forced COVID intermission). An estimated 10 million people have seen it there. That count includes me and Theron, my frequent co-reviewer and teenage son, who saw performance 30,487 of The Mousetrap at St. Martin’s Theatre when we were in London this April. However, I still remember seeing it the first time I went to London in the 1990s. The Mousetrap’s familiar continuity withstands the tempests of time.
Muzopappa also noted his determination to do justice to the world’s longest-running play. Having recently seen the legendary London production, I came in with a high bar. However, Muzopappa’s attention to detail from staging to costuming to accents and blocking was flawless.
Set designer Cindy Berg executes on a vision that utilizes every inch of the stage to transform it into the Great Hall of Monkswell Manor, a newly opened bed and breakfast by newlyweds, Mollie and Giles Ralston (Amanda Weber and Daniel Lee). Berg’s set is complemented by Janet Okarma’s props, which push toward Victorian maximalism. The design choices fit the stately, old manor house. They also contribute to an air of claustrophobia as a winter squall traps the bevy of houseguests. Walls the color of dried blood soar upward, signaling high Victorian ceilings and foreshadowing murder, an intrinsic plot element in any whodunit. A fireplace with a brass peacock screen and an ornate mantel; brocaded, fringed furniture; and an abundance of landscape and still-life paintings complete a scene steeped in Victorian stuffiness.
The Ralstons own and staff Monkswell thanks to Mollie’s inheritance of her aunt’s manor. Weber shines as Mollie Ralston. As mistress of the house, she strides about with distinctive purpose. You hear her low, sensible heels before you see her. These auditory cues matter, as solving a whodunit requires heightened senses. Weber’s British accent never wavers, and her interactions with guests can be rapid-fire, yet she carves out a distinctive way of engaging with each one.
Weber’s Mollie finds her equal in Lee’s portrayal of Giles. They’re an energetic pair as he bustles about clearing snow and running luggage.
Like Agatha Christie herself, Muzopappa doesn’t miss a detail. Thomas Inghram’s soundscape of howling wind precisely accompanies the entrance of each actor from the outdoors, never letting us forget the blizzard that gusts outside. Everyone who enters Monkswell Manor has snow-covered shoulders on their overcoats, adding next-level detail and blurring the line between inside and out.
The first houseguest to arrive is Christopher Wren (Casey Cunningham). He’s a jaunty young fellow in a pink waistcoat, with a smattering of childlike tendencies that veer into the macabre, like his love of gory nursery rhymes. Cunningham rides the line between creepy and helpful, keeping us guessing about Wren’s role in the events that unfold.
Donna Morosco brings out the Karen in her portrayal of Mrs. Boyle, a self-righteous, always-complaining biddy. At one point, Wren gloats, “Let’s think of ways to annoy her,” and the audience can’t help but smile at the suggestion.
Kauleen Cloutier’s natural height paired with Cindy Berg’s masculine costuming amplifies Miss Casewell’s androgyny. Cloutier taps into an imposing demeanor that creates a no-questions-asked forcefield around Casewell.
Sergeant Trotter’s (Noah Koons) arrival sets the strangers on edge. Due to the storm, he arrives on skis to investigate a murder that took place in London but has local ties. The gathered go from sheltering to suspicious after the murder visits Monkswell, and Christie uses her signature plot twists to keep you guessing.
Despite the winter setting, the creepy vibes make this play a perfectly timed run-up to Halloween. Save the airfare and enjoy this London-rivaling production of The Mousetrap right here in southwestern PA.
-TKR, Ph.D.
Purchase tickets online for the Old Schoolhouse Players’ production of The Mousetrap through October 18, 2026. The show plays at the Mt. Pleasant Township Community Center, 20 Wabash Avenue, Hickory, PA 15340.
