Agoura High's 'Kill the Lights' to Play Murder for Laughs

Murder, mystery and a full-course dinner are on Agoura High Performing Arts' menu this weekend. Kill the Lights, an original play written by Nikki Apple and directed by Shannon Carroll along with assistant director Matt Oster, will be performed Friday and Saturday nights in the school's G building.

The tradition of a dinner theater at the high school dates back some 15 years, with the murder-mystery theme as a constant each year, Apple said. Kill the Lights is set behind the scenes of a new production in a Southern town. The cast and crew are rehearsing, and everything is on track, until someone is killed. Panic ensues when they realize that there is a murderer in their midst. 

"It was a nice opportunity, and I've always been interested in writing and I thought I could do it," said Apple, an Agoura High senior and self-proclaimed "sound techie," whose script was chosen from a selection of four entries. 

The play and all of its roles, both artistic and technical, are filled by high school students, with the assistance of a student adviser, Jason Bold.  Most of the cast perform in and are members of the Drama Club, said director Carroll.

"It's a farce, so it's very big on comedic timing. The ones who made us laugh were the ones who got the parts... and Comedy Sportz people are good at making us laugh," Carroll said. "It's going to be an absolute treat for anyone who decides to come and see it."

Kill the Lights debuts on Friday for students and teachers, and returns on Saturday for the general public. The cost is $15 on Friday and $25 on Saturday. No tickets will be sold at the door. Contact Suzanne Carroll at 818-519-3434 for more information.

Check out Patch's photo gallery of the play's dress rehearsal.