This October, Mingus Union High School’s A Troupe Of Ridiculous Thespians theatre dares the public to step into a story unlike anything ever seen on stage.
“Trap,” by acclaimed playwright Stephen Gregg, is not just a play — it’s a 90-minute audience experience. Performances run Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3, 4, 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., with a special matinee Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. at the Mingus Union High School Auditorium, 1801 E. Fir St. in Cottonwood.
The premise is simple. The truth is not. One night, in a small California town, every single member of an audience watching a play falls unconscious. Every single person played by except one. What happened inside that theatre has baffled investigators, shaken the community and left behind a trail of secrets waiting to be uncovered. “Trap” unfolds through interviews, recovered documents, and chilling reenactments that blur the line between reality and performance. Some say it’s fiction. Others say it’s a cover-up. You’ll have to decide for yourself, if you dare to come.
This production is more than entertainment, it’s an invitation. But to accept that invitation, the audience must be willing to lean into the unknown and to follow the mystery where it leads. What begins as theatre has a way of slipping into reality. Audience members will leave with the same uneasy question on their lips — “How much of this was real?”
“This play is unlike anything we have done before,” James Ball, Theatre Director said. “It’s a much more immersive style show that the students are having a blast with. I hope the audience takes a chance on this lesser-known title. I know they will be surprised.”
Tickets are available at atort.ludus.com. General admission is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $7 for students and children. While there is nothing inappropriate within the play, due to the suspense it may not be suitable for younger children.
Trap’ Cast
Eden Everitt, Eva Novak, Ani Novak, Jayce Lawler, Lyra Earles, Vic Johnson, Addie Everitt, Ajna Elara, Chance Canning, Gizmo Petterson, Evelyn Bouse, Cole Castro, Emily Gummo-Wagner, Jareth Alegria, Remus Rhodes, Cade Coughlin, Caleb Thompson, Sophia Hall, Layel Brooks, John Taylor, Addison Duncan-Holland, Charisma Sanchez, Sabine Briggs, Jayla Wagley and Ultan Green.Ensemble played by Emma Laas, Abby Bouse, Tosha Morgan, Lexi Williams and Echo McMillen,
‘Trap’ Crew
Tori Reitman, Maddie Ecret, Lilly Reyes, Raine Taylor, Raven Ontiveros, Fiona Gummo-Wagner, Vida Fray, Maylee Knight, Sofia Arvayo and Alia Sharif, Melanie Rodriguez, Bella Green, Olivia Swartz, Kristi Mclver, August Gornick, Em Ventura, Sanai Prentiss and Keyara Hamaley-Trujillo, Ava Fransk Ailed Sandoval, Mni Lopez, Gavin McCarty, Ellie Louden, Jessy Johnson, Cadence Salvi and Olive Walter-Gonzales, Ian Laas, Jonovan Myers, Aero Serene, Payton Maldonado, August Shea; Sound Crew, Airyanna Maynard, Oliver Schilz, Jack Murphree, Emilia Bocchicchio, Emma Wilson, Preston Hepner and Monica Barrios.
