After attempting to explain the murder of Hampton Bellamy to his family, Officer Pasty (Kwincy Hanson) offers Captain Graham (Abram Pocha) a drink. While he is hoping for something strong, he takes a big gulp of tea. Lawyer Farrigut Blaine (Sam Weisenburger) and Chef Sebastian (Gavin Mercado) intently watch the exchange.
Before being taken to prison by Officer Beryl (Alexis Carpenter) and Officer Shirley (Emily Mercado) for the murder of Hampton Bellamy, Carlton Hepplewhite (Shane Lindemer) clutches to the hat of Fifi Meyers (Kwincy Hanson), who was killed by a line mine, and professes his undying love for her.
When Barbaretta Chippendale (Nicole Williams) stumbles on stage after being shot with a cross bow, Captain Bogie Graham (Abram Pocha) searches her purse. He is suppose to find the gun that shot Hampton Bellamy. Instead he pulls out his hand. Inept Officer Pasty (Kwincy Hansen-not pictured) is quick to produce the gun that should have been in the purse. The students rolled with it, the audience roared.
Insurance agent Luella Soames (Jory Towe) listens in disbelief as the family tries to convince her that Hampton Bellamy's $250,000 life insurance policy could be worth one million dollars.
When Willow Hackhalter (Tessa Grimes) collapses, Doc Eberkuny (Taylor Cahoon) just happens to already be at the house. Hackhalter's wine was poisoned. Willow was the second death following the murder of Hampton Bellamy.
News Anchor Pamela Gadsen (Jayla Kauffman) added to the plot with a continuous comedy of errors between her and her videographer Bonnie Speck (Tessa Grimes).
Chef Sabastian (Gavin Mercado - left) takes after Durward Hackhalter (Hunter Sokoloski - right) after Durward got into the kitchen and stole some food. The rest of the family (L-R Cherise Chippendale (Amber Leetch), Dorthella Hepplewhite (Trinitey Bartlett), Percy Hepplewhite (Jasen Sokoloski), Darnella Hepplewhite (Ashley Miller) and Willow Hackhalter (Tessa Grimes)) and Lawyer Farrigut Blaine (Sam Weisenburger) stayed in character, shaking their heads in disapproval of Durward, as the audience roared with laughter.
SEELEY LAKE – In a humorous display of wit, improvisation and talent, the Seeley-Swan High School (SSHS) Drama Class hosted the first production on the new SSHS stage entitled "We'll be Right Back After this Murder" April 20. SSHS Drama teacher Crissina Quinn was very proud of the students for pulling together and giving an excellent performance.
The students in Quinn's drama class began practicing second semester at the end of January. They worked an hour per day during their class time and learned blocking and staging for the different scenes, their lines and worked on the set. Quinn said that Shawn Holmes' shop class was instrumental in helping them build the set.
The students gave one performance to a full house Thursday evening.
The play opened with the death of Hampton Bellamy and all the usual suspects in his home. Bellamy was shot, stabbed, poisoned, clubbed and run over by a truck, having just enough money left in his bank account to pay his last life insurance premium worth, questionably, one million dollars.
While everyone was a suspect, clues piled up as fast as victims when Fifi Meyers (Kwincy Hanson) was killed by a land mine, Willow Hackhalter (Tessa Grimes) was poisoned by tainted wine and Barbaretta Chippendale (Nicole Williams) was killed by a cross bow in the wood shed.
Captain Bogie Graham (Abram Pocha) had his work cut out for him. After interviewing all the possible suspects, he boils the case down as simply as possible by working backwards leaving everyone in suspense.
After Officer Pasty finds all the booby traps around the house, minus the one Chippendale found that killed her, Graham concluded Bellamy set the traps for his family before he died.
While four of the characters attempted to murder Bellamy, all attempts were made after he had already ingested poison that killed him.
Captain Graham told the family, had they just left him alone this would have been "so simple."
Captain Graham's conclusion of a suicide left insurance agent Luella Soames (Jory Towe) off the hook for the life insurance payout and the family as dysfunctional as before.
"I'm so proud of all of them," said Quinn who acknowledged how stressful it was but how well they all improvised. "They have worked really, really hard on building the set. The blocking and the lines is a lot to learn for first year drama. They did fantastic."
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