Interactive Theater At Nc Involves Murder And Mayhem

They say murder is easier the second time. Just ask Andrew Rowles.

“Everything was getting back at Trina,” said Rowles, a North Central High School senior. “She stabbed me in the heart, so I had to do the same to her.”

For the second consecutive year, Rowles played the killer in North Central’s production of “Garbanzo High School’s Class of 1976 Class Reunion: a Murder Mystery.” The play is interactive, with the audience trying to solve the crime by interacting with and interrogating the student actors.

Rowles’ murderous heart wasn’t unveiled until the end of a crazy night of gossip, campy skits and disco music last Friday. He killed, he says, because class do-gooder Trina Trueheart (senior Katie Clarke) had called him a “dweeb” at a high school dance 20 years before.

“The trick is to never let (the audience) figure out a pattern,” said Rowles.

For the first half of the play, the audience mingled with student actors pretending to be reunion goers. Instructed to get as many details about the actors as possible, parents quizzed students such as junior Reed Jackson, who claimed to Microsoft programmer Alistair Mortimer. Mortimer, it turned out, worked at McDonalds.

“It’s a temporary thing! I’m leaving next week!” Jackson exclaimed after class gossip Connie Mann - played by junior Emily Perez - disclosed his secret.

Alex Mansfield, Garbanzo’s former all-state quarterback, came out of the closet during the night. Student Andrew Gibson, a broad-shouldered 6-footer, was fetching in a calf-length, wine-colored dress and an aggressive set of falsies.

The reunion jokes continued and animosity between the characters mounted, until Trueheart was stabbed in the middle of the reunion dance, with “Night Fever” from the Saturday Night Fever sound track playing in the background.

From then on, the drama devolved to a gossip frenzy, with audience members trying to follow the web of innuendo, lies and false motives to the real killer.

This reporter learned that nun Francis Ester, played by Cara Russell, snuck in the murder weapon, under the watchful eyes of student security guards. Walt Brigadoon, played by the real North Central security guard, Walt Pegram, was a prime suspect because he had access to the murder weapon.

With conspiracy theories running wild, drama teacher Tom Armitage wrapped up the night by announcing Rowles’ guilt.

“I told you I wasn’t the killer,” Pegram said later.

Parenting classes at Audubon

Audubon Elementary School is hosting a series of classes on parenting issues in February and March. Issues include nutrition, parenting skills, stress and time management, communication and budgeting.

The classes are held Thursday from 1:45 p.m. to 2:50 p.m. at Audubon, 2020 W. Carlisle. For more information, call Dana Myers or Sandy Brislain at 353-5234.

Gifted program review

Parents can review and give their input on the Spokane School District gifted education task force report Thursday at 7 p.m. at Shadle Park High School.

, DataTimes MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the North Side Voice. If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a North Side school or about the achievements of North Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Jonathan Martin, Education Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5484. Fax: 459-5482.