Clues to the mystery are on stage, if you can spot them

It’s a classic murder mystery that’s been read, imitated, parodied, plagiarized and performed for more than 75 years.

It’s Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” as staged by the Macon Little Theatre.

“This is Agatha Christie’s snapshot in time of 10 people brought to a secluded island and accused of wrongs they’ve done in their past with some very suspenseful results following,” said Sylvia Haynie, artistic manager and the show’s director.

“Many consider Christie’s novel the greatest mystery story of all time,” Haynie said. “There have been so many renditions of it in so many ways, I’m even convinced the game Clue took at least some of its concepts from it.”

Christie’s novel was originally published in 1939 with the first stage production in the 1940s. Haynie said she’s keeping her production in that period for her fast-paced, digital-age audience.

“It’s a classic drawing-room drama for sure,” she said. “It comes from when everything was more about the language and listening than now. I think people will enjoy turning off their devices, sitting with others in an audience and just listening and watching without banners running across the top and bottom of a screen. The clues are all there and you can lean forward looking for every detail or just sit back and take it all in.”

It was a surprise when Haynie was named the production’s director: she’s only directed musicals at the theater since 2004.

Were there times when she wondered, “Why can’t we just stick a song right there?”

“I think I’ll take the fifth on that,” she said. “But I will say what an amazing cast we have. I’m glad I’ve gotten to meet and work with people I usually don’t get the chance to. It’s a different group than usually comes out for musicals. All 11 cast members looked forward to bringing something of their own to such a classic work.”

If it’s such a classic, will it be too familiar to be enjoyed?

“That’s the beauty of good literature and theatre,” Haynie said “People sit side by side having come in with something different and they leave taking away something different. Some know the work and some don’t. But it’s like slicing a good cake — you know everybody’s going to enjoy it.”

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Clues to the mystery are on stage, if you can spot them."