'Something's Afoot' at the Tybee Post Theater this month

Tybee Post Theater is proudly producing their comedic mystery, "Something's Afoot." This whodunnit musical promises to be a fun time for an adult audience.

Set in the 1930s, "Somethings Afoot" stars 10 stranded individuals isolated in an English country house during a thunderstorm. Inevitably murder strikes, taking the panicking strangers out one by one. It's a race against time to solve the mystery of the murder before death claims them all.

The play was quite a hit on Broadway in the 70s and even had a showing at the West End in England. Later in the 1980s, a TV version of the production was aired in the 80s starring Jean Stapleton, known best for being the main character in the 1970's sitcom, "All in the Family."

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But what makes this play so unique for the Tybee Post Theater?

According to Tybee Post Executive Director Evan Goetz, this play, in particular, has some personal meaning. "I have a really awesome connection to the musical. This is one of the first musicals I ever did 17 years ago. When I was 18-year-old in my hometown in South Carolina."

That's not the only reason, though. Goetz later explains that while murder mysteries are all the rage, the funds raised from ticket sales will help sustain the historic Tybee Post Theater. The theater was built in the 1930s on a military base to be a place where U.S. soldiers stationed there could watch movies. While the base was decommissioned in the 1940s, the theater remained until the 1960s.

It stayed that way for roughly 55 years before restoration efforts began cropping up and finally came to fruition in 2015. "We're a fairly newer organization in the way we operate today even though this structure is over 100 years old, which is quite special," said Goetz. "This particular musical will serve as a fundraiser for the theater."

'Everyone's dancing' Tybee Equality Fest is back so get ready for a party

On the Saturday night showing of "Something's Afoot," there will be a fundraising gala; ticket prices for entry will be $75 per person, and all proceeds will go into supporting the Tybee Post Theater with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks. The event will last an hour and a half before the Saturday night showing. The dress code for the gala fundraiser will be casual cocktail attire in contrast with the other showings where casual beach vibe attire is acceptable. Tickets to see the play will cost $20 per person.

"We got 10 really solid, great cast members who are a part of the community, and we've been rehearsing and building sets, costumes, and props," Goetz said. "We'll bring it all together, and we'll have a two-story set which is really great for our stage, and we're excited about that."

Goetz and the team have been working diligently to make "Something's Afoot" a fun comedic ride for their beloved audience. But the trial and error of making the production as best as possible have come with some hurdles. As Goetz would explain, some of the most enthralling yet hardest parts during rehearsal were figuring out how to get certain practical effects to work and timing them just right to work when they're supposed to.

Another fun challenge Goetz dealt with while organizing the play was figuring out how to make the comedic moments right. As the director, he's expressed that it's part of his job to "find the funny" as he puts it. "I never want to play the joke as a joke; I want these characters to live authentically in this world that we've created," he said.

This play will be unique for the Tybee Post Theater as it is a rare instance where the organization produces it. Traditionally, the theater has been where groups or other organizations are hired to come on stage with their productions, making showings like "Somethings Afoot" relatively rare for the team. However, the theater has also done events outside of play productions. such as their first Tybee Post Music Festival last year.

While selling out their tickets would be a fantastic goal for the theater. Another one of their goals is to use this play as a way to bring people into theater space. "How do we give them an hour and a half of fun and engaging content and music? To get people to laugh and sort of not worry about anything else but what's on stage, that's what I hope to bring to the community and get people to support the Tybee Post Theater again," said Goetz.

"Something's Afoot" will be be performed on the April 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. on April 30. The Gala Fundraiser will be on April 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA events: Tybee Post Theater gala, Something's Afoot play