In the world of make believe, the choir room at Ilwaco High School is turned first into a black-box theater and then a lavishly decorated luxury train traveling across Europe in Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” Left to right are characters played by Aimee Meinhardt, Kaylynn Ward, Ethan Shaw, Matthew Do, Aarin Hoygaard, Hayden Gentry, Cole Allen, Jessica Garcia, Gabby Bell, Aubrey Coulombe, Nathan Gibson and Paul Kuhn.

ILWACO — There is a mystery to solve at Ilwaco High School.

And drama director Rachel Lake is hoping audiences will enjoy watching Hercule Poirot piece the solution together.

If You Go

Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.”

A play by Ilwaco High School drama students, directed by Rachel Lake.

Black Box Theater at Ilwaco High School, choir room, 404 School Road, Ilwaco.

7 p.m. Dec. 17, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Limited seating; doors open a half-hour before showtime.

Admission $10; audience members must wear masks.

Presented by arrangement with Concord.

The drama club is staging Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” It will be performed 7 p.m. Dec. 17, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19 in the Black Box Theater at IHS.

The first challenge was converting the choir room into a train.

The next was casting the idiosyncratic European detective.

Enter Matthew Do.

He had dipped his toe into drama, filling small roles in “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” a series of comic sketches the IHS students performed back in November 2019.

When covid hit, the school’s shift to online learning and the accompanying cancellation of student activities, pulled down the curtain.

As restrictions lessened with the fall return to classrooms, Do suggested that Lake consider staging the theatrical version of “Orient Express.”

“And you were really good at auditions,” said Lake, interrupting him as he described how he earned his chance. Do said he prefers the 1974 original movie with Albert Finney in his role, though he enjoyed Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 remake.

At first he considered trying an accent — Poirot is Belgian, and speaks with an accent close to French — but decided against it. “It’s a big leap for me,” the senior said. “I have a lot of lines and it’s my first lead role. What a way to end a school career!”

Challenging interrogation

Because it’s a mystery — and an Agatha Christie, where life (and death) is rarely what it seems — this article cannot reveal too much about the characters or what happens.

British mystery writer Christie published her novel “Murder on the Orient Express” in 1934. In it, Poirot boards a lavishly furnished train traveling west through Europe from Istanbul, Turkey. He investigates the murder of an American businessman while the train is delayed by a snowdrift with all the suspects trapped on board.

“It’s been fun,” said Kaylynn Ward, another senior, whose character name is Princess Natalya Dragomiroff. She, too, enjoyed “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and was eager to get back on stage.

Like many classic Agatha Christies, the script includes a scene in which suspects face probing questions. “The biggest challenge is the interrogation scene, because it’s monologue after monologue,” Ward said.

Unmasked

Paul Kuhn plays a frightened businessman who seeks help from Poirot believing his life is in danger.

Fellow passengers include Ward’s Russian princess character and a Swedish woman played by Aimee Meinhardt. Gabby Bell plays a governess and Cole Allen is a colonel. Their tender moment is interrupted by the businessman’s secretary, played by Nathan Gibson.

Jessica Garcia portrays a countess and Ethan Shaw is another traveler.

Train staff are played by Hayden Gentry, Aarin Hoygaard and Aubrey Coulombe.

The backstage crew includes Jaxon Fisher-Pinto, Lucas Prest, Brianna Bruno, Margaret Limbochker and Anthony Skillings.

For Lake, who was devastated not to be able to stage her long-planned “Schoolhouse Rock” in 2020, it is a happy return.

“We have not done theater for a long while, and a lot of people were nervous,” she said. “But we had enough people to try out for the show. Thankfully, we are able to do the production unmasked due to the covid protocols the district has in place.”