Written by Eli Dean // Graphic by Makayla McDonald
Student-led theater group Campus Players will perform“The Game’s Afoot” at the Ulrey Performing Arts Center Dec. 7-9. The whodunit set in the 1930s will be a part of Harding’s Centennial celebration this year. The director, junior Aubrey Jones, is president of Campus Players and said she is excited about her first opportunity to direct a play at any level.
“Every year, Campus Players puts on a show directed by the president, so it’s part of my responsibilities in that office,” Jones said. “As part of the Centennial celebration, the theatre department decided to make the CP show part of the main stage season, which has allowed me to direct a full-length show this December instead of a one-act like we typically do in the spring.”
The Game’s Afoot is a murder mystery comedy about a group of actors at a Christmas party that quickly turns into a mystery after one of the actors is found dead inside the house. Jones said the show is a compelling way to get a few laughs while trying to figure out the secret hiding inside the house.
“Through the course of an evening, a murder plot is revealed, someone is stabbed, accusations are thrown and relationships are questioned,” Jones said. “Expect to laugh a lot and experience twists and turns alongside the characters.”
Campus Players has been on campus since Harding’s first academic year, and every student group since has kept the tradition alive for 100 years and counting. Junior Emma McDaris said that with everything being student-led, a lot more opportunities are available for students who might not be able to be as hands-on during other productions.
“We have been around for the entire 100-year history of Harding, and we host events for students to come and perform such as an annual cabaret at the end of the academic school year for students to share their talents with their peers,” McDaris said. “Campus Players also puts on a completely student-produced play every year that provides students the opportunity to act, direct and try any technical positions that they normally do not get to try.”
Campus Players have done a variety of different genres of productions, and for junior Magadalene Pruitt, this is her first production that does not feature music as part of the performance. Pruitt said that she is excited for the new challenge that a “straight play” presents.
“This production is different from others I’ve been a part of because it is my first straight play,” Pruitt said. “That means there is no music, singing or dancing — just acting. I’m having a great time with it so far.”
