HOOD RIVER — Unregulated technology meets murder mystery in the Mid-Columbia Lions Follies' first full-length play, “Whodunit: powered by AI,” which premiered at Hood River Middle School on March 20 and will run for two weekends.
Directed by Follies mainstay Bev Bridgewater and written by Terri Tyler, the original production is a satirical critique of artificial intelligence, brimming with musical numbers, familiar pop-culture faces, and an age-diverse cast of locals.
Founded in 1977, the Lions Follies is an annual variety show written and performed by Gorge residents, typically featuring musical and comedy acts. Each bill is entirely fresh, conjured up from scratch each year and tailored to participating talent. The all-volunteer nonprofit has raised over $435,000 for the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation since its inception.
“Whodunit,” the Follies' 46th production, diverges from the show’s usual formula — a continuous, full-length play rather than a series of skits and songs. After Barnaby Baxter, a billionaire tech genius, is murdered by his greatest invention — an AI assistant called Aura — his family must investigate what went awry, implementing the expertise of hologram detectives, including Philip Marlow, Adrian Monk, and the Scooby-Doo gang.
Rebekah McAlister, Sarah Fox, Izzie Hollenberry (standing, left to right) and Levi Beckman perform a scene from "Whodunit?"
During the planning process, Bridgewater and crew thought up a “decades” show, where characters would visit past eras and detectives to solve a murder set in modern times. Tyler took that concept and ran with it, ultimately zeroing in on an AI-centric script that gently pokes fun at the incompetence of unregulated technologies, with plenty of recognizable pop and country tunes along the way. “I think audiences are going to shake their heads and ask, ‘What in the world did I just see?’” Bridgewater said.
Rehearsing since January, the show’s massive cast features a wide range of ages (7-68) and experience levels.
Amy Maddy, a classroom aide at Horizon Christian School, plays the Barnaby household’s long-time nanny, Hazel, and has been with the Follies since she was in sixth grade, participating in 11 productions over the years. She also serves as the production’s vocal director. “I hope audiences leave with a lot of questions in a good way,” Maddy said. “It’s very layered, and you can find something new each time.”
Amy Maddy sings "A Million Dreams" on stage in "Whodunit?"
Another Follies staple, Westside Elementary kindergarten teacher Sarah Fox, plays Barnaby’s ex-wife Clara. In third grade, Fox danced at a studio run by Bridgewater, who invited her to participate in a show, and she has been with the group ever since. “The performances are the best — you have your Follies family,” she said. “Everybody gets along great. We are pretty much an improv group the way we do things, and we have a lot of fun with each other.”
Sarah Fox and Jeremy Belcher on stage at HRMS
Etta Elderkin, 11, plays Girl Scout Agnes Marie, a clairvoyant neighbor and schoolmate of Barnaby’s son Axon. She joined the production after Maddy, who recognized her love of acting, suggested it to her. Her theater experience includes roles in “Cinderella” and “Charlotte’s Web.”
Etta Elderkin, 11, as Agnes Marie in "Whodunit?" at HRMS. Sean Avery photos
Logan Goss, 10, plays Axon and has enjoyed acting and singing with the Follies. “It’s been fun and challenging,” he said. “It goes back and forth.”
Another recruit of Maddy’s, 11-year-old Grant Hinman, loves to sing and act. He plays the iconic Shaggy Rogers in “Whodunit,” and has been with the Follies for three years. “I hope people are satisfied and happy,” Hinman said. “If they came with family, I hope they leave talking about the parts they liked.”
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