Hooligan Theatre Company updates classic murder mystery “˜And Then There Were None’

Late at night in a dark church basement, Nerris Nassiri, the assistant director, had the challenge of working on one of the most difficult scenes during the Hooligan Theatre Company’s rehearsal.

The first-year undeclared student shut off all of the lights and had second-year undeclared student Nathan Galovan menacingly accuse each of the actors of murder, with the intent of inspiring realistic reactions in the cast.

The group of students will present Agatha Christie’s murder mystery “And Then There Were None” in Kerckhoff Grand Salon starting Friday. Second-year American literature and culture student Gina Salerno said that she is excited to perform despite the short five weeks of preparation.

“And Then There Were None” was adapted for the stage in 1943 and has received recognition by international audiences ever since. The play tells the story of 10 people, all of them trying to hide a dark past. Invited to a lone mansion on Soldier Island by a man who fails to appear, they are isolated from everything except each other and the dark riddle that predicts the imminent death awaiting each of them.

“Agatha Christie’s novels, next to the Bible and Shakespeare, are the best-selling stories of all time,” Nassiri said. “And this play, in my humble opinion, is her masterpiece.”

In his second stint as a director, second-year English student Tyler Schwartz said he staged the play in current times as opposed to the period in which the story was written.

“It’s a fun show, we play with the scenes. … We set it in 2011 by changing the gramophone records to CDs, flashlights to cellphones and iPads. … We also have dealt with Internet culture while still staying true to the script,” Schwartz said.

Even though the cast is small and comprised mostly of first- and second-year students, according to Nassiri, the members of the cast are up to par with professionals.

“Any scene with Captain Lombard is my favorite scene,” Nassiri said. “He is not just the comedic relief. … He just has this overpowering character that yells out of nowhere.”

Captain Lombard is played by first-year psychology student Luis Ruiz. He performed extensively in theater in high school, and he said that he knew he wanted to join a group that allowed him to continue performing once he arrived at UCLA.

According to Ruiz, Hooligan Theatre Company was a perfect fit.

By adapting an old classic to the modern age, Schwartz said he believes the audience might take away that human justice is fallible and that guilt destroys.

“Just watching (the play), you get pulled in, you want to know what happens next, who dies next. … “˜Oh shoot, my favorite character just died!’ … You really get involved with the performance,” Ruiz said.