Watch as the Wilton High School Little Theater stage darkens and transforms into the underbelly of 20th century England in this year’s fall play, Agatha Christie’s A Witness For The Prosecution. Originally released in 1925, Witness follows the murder trial of American playboy Leonard Vole (played by Andrew Tsantilas ‘19 and Jack Parrotta ‘20), who has been accused of killing a rich older woman out of greed. Twists and turns inevitably ensue.
Christie is the best selling author of all time, and Witness’ unpredictable plot, driven by a diverse cast of multifaceted characters, proves why.
“I like that it’s different from typical shows in the sense that you get to see a deeper level of character,” says senior Taylor White, who is playing “Gretta,” the flirty secretary of lawyer Sir Wilfred. “You get to know the characters on a more personal level than any other show we’ve done.”
Witness is indeed character driven. The show focuses on the inner motivations, calculations, and psychology of each character and how they contribute to the trial’s outcome. Spoiler alert: it’s not what you think.
Contributing further to the extensive character development is the show’s double casting. For the second year in a row the fall play is double cast, meaning the lead roles are played by two different people on two different nights.
Public speaking teacher and two-time fall play director Kevin Slater brought this practice to WHS from his past directing experience. “High school theater is about education,” he says. “It’s about giving people opportunities and experiencing what theater is all about. Unfortunately most plays aren’t written for large casts. That’s why I love double casting.”
The performances of The Witness for the Prosecution will be in the Little Theater on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m..
More information and purchasing tickets can be done online.
We just ask one thing: After you see the show, don’t give away the ending!
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Ava Kaplan is a senior at Wilton High School, and president of the student body.