Fall Play Casts Keep Audiences Guessing

Each year Theater Director Elaine Lifter and her group of actors and crew prepare for months to put on entertaining fall play performances. This year, the performing arts team doubled their work by putting on “The Mousetrap” with two casts.

“We’ve never had two casts before, and it’s been more work but totally worth it because we were able to feature more students, and they’ve been spectacular,” Lifter said before the November 13 premiere. “They’ve met deadlines and brought a lot of creativity and energy to developing really dynamic characters that Agatha Christie would be proud of.”

One of those students is Marina Greenberg ’28, who played female lead Mollie Ralston in Cast A. Greenberg confirmed what her teacher said while acknowledging her pre-show jitters.

“I’m feeling nervous, but I think that happens to everyone when it comes to that opening night feeling,” she said. “Overall, I feel really prepared. I feel like the whole cast and Ms. Lifter have helped me feel comfortable and ready to go into tonight and do a good show and make this performance happen. I’m really excited, and I’m really glad I got to work with this cast.”

Thanks to the hard work from Greenberg and company, the show was a smash hit. Both leading ladies—Greenberg and Cast B’s Olivia biller ’27—brought unique perspectives to their character, who has unwittingly gathered a group of murder suspects at her newly opened guest house, Monkswell Manor.

Other notable performances included those of Blake Frost ‘26, Andrew Stambaugh ‘26, and Steven Yang ‘28, who participated in both casts.

Frost played the role of Detective Sergeant Trotter, entering through the window and taking charge of the unfolding mystery. Also serving as the play’s assistant director, Stambaugh grumpily helped Mollie run Monkswell Manor as Giles Ralston.

Yang shone as Trotter’s assistant Sam Sprinter—a character the Theater Department created just for Millbrook’s version of “The Mousetrap.” His panicked exit from the stage was a highlight of the performance.

Audiences were also entertained by rousing performances from a colorful cast of other supporting characters.

Kelly Kwok ’25 and Maddie O’Brien ’25 provided regular laughs as the flamboyant Christopher Wren, while Lisette Lacroix ’28 and Fifi Novaes-Ferreira ’25 lit up the stage as the eccentric—and heavily accented—Mr. Paravicini.

Marvelous Aderibigbe ‘26 and Annie Huang ‘28 (Mrs. Casewell), and Andrea Taitt ‘27 and Ellie Myers ‘26 (Major Metcalf) also gave convincing performances. Faculty actors even joined the action, as Sophie Kennedy and Owen Kelley ‘17 played a delightfully uptight Mrs./Mr. Boyle.

Both casts made full use of a beautiful set that transformed the Chelsea Morrison Theater into Monkswell Manor. Designed and built by students in the cast and crew, the period set made audiences feel like they were in the English countryside during a snowstorm in 1952.

Excellent work by the lighting and audio teams built exhilarating suspense throughout the show.

All the actors did an incredible job of projecting guilt. They kept audiences in the dark as to the identity of the murderer among them from the opening scene to the shocking final twist, rightfully earning standing ovations from their audiences.

Greenberg perfectly summed up Millbrook’s production of the world's longest-running play:

“I think it’s an incredible show,” she said. “It’s honestly one of the most fun shows I’ve ever been in.”