ACT’s 'Murder on the Orient Express' opening June 13

All aboard for “Murder on the Orient Express” at Amelia Community Theatre. The famous train will leave the station for 10 performances June 13-28. Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, published in 1934, has been adapted for the stage by playwright Ken Ludwig. The show opens with an intriguing group of travelers waiting to board the train in Istanbul. Among them is the famed Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Once the train is underway, Poirot’s skills are required when a passenger is murdered in his sleeping compartment, and it appears that all other passengers have alibis. The case is complicated by the fact that the train is stuck in a snowdrift with no help on the way. Poirot discovers that there may actually be a connection between these seemingly unrelated travelers and a traumatic event from the past.

Joe Zaccaro, Carlos Semidei, and CallieAnn Maggart are fellow travelers in ACT's "Murder on the Orient Express."

Director of the show Daniel Starling shared, “Agatha Christie’s work endures because she understood something essential. That the most compelling mysteries are not just about clever crimes and plot twists, but what it means to be human.”  The cast includes Joe Zaccaro as Poirot, along with Christopher Doody, Tiffany James, Lisa Knapp, CallieAnn Maggart, Caro Marks, Carlos Semidei, Patrick VanDeWatering, Catherine West, and Terri Witkosky.

Dame Agatha Christie, who died in 1976, still holds the title of the bestselling fiction writer of all time. "Murder on the Orient Express” has been so popular over the years that it has inspired adaptations for radio, film, television, a graphic novel, and even a board game.

ACT performances are at 7:30 p.m. on June 13-14, 19-21, 26-27 and at 2 p.m. on June 15, 22, and 28 at 207 Cedar Street.

The opening night audience on June 13 will be treated to a preshow party at 6:30 with complimentary specialty drinks and elegant desserts.

Show tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students and are available at Amelia Community Theatre and by calling the box office at 904-261-6749.

Walk-up box office hours are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday and 90 minutes before curtain on show dates. “Murder on the Orient Express” is rated PG.