AHS Masquers To Stage – Night of January 16th

Arcadia High School Masquers will proudly present the courtroom drama Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand on Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March 25, 2023 starting at 7:30 p.m.  This year’s play has a little twist as it places the audience in the role of juror, and twelve members will be selected at the beginning of the show to render the murder trial verdict.  The production will be presented in the Arcadia High Auditorium.  Tickets may be purchased 45 minutes before the show or advance tickets may be obtained in the high school office starting now.  There are 498 reserved seats available in the Auditorium, so purchase them while they last.  Prices are $5.00 adults and $3.00 students/children.

The plot of Night of January 16th centers on the trial of secretary Karen Andre (Sherlyn Veliz) for the murder of her employer, business executive Bjorn Faulkner, who defrauded his company of millions of dollars to invest in the gold trade.  District Attorney Flint (Ithzel Cossio Sotelo) and Defense Attorney Stevens (Peyton Nelson) plead their case to Judge Lilianna Heath (Rae Jensen-Schaffner) along with the jury in the hopes for a conviction or a not guilty verdict respectively.  Courtroom Bailiff (Linsy Cruz Angel) and Clerk (Nyla Hampton) will do their best to serve justice and provide no prejudice towards the defendant on trial.

Did Karen Andre kill her lover, the financier Bjorn Faulkner, by throwing him from the roof of his New York penthouse?  The proper verdict is not dictated by the factual evidence.  It rests on which witnesses audience members find credible.  The witnesses that come to the stand are Nancy Lee Faulkner (Maria Braun) wife of the deceased, Jane Marie Whitefield (Kelly Flores) mother in-law to the deceased and business partner, Homer Van Fleet (Sam Schaffner) private investigator, Magda Svenson (Karla Andrade) housekeeper for the deceased, “Guts” Regan (Daniel Hernandez-Tejeda) mobster, Elmer Sweeny (Jeff Mohr) police officer, Jamie Chandler (Andy Pronschinske) handwriting expert, Dr. Kirkland (Wyatt George) examining doctor, Johanna Hutchins (Mercedez Hadley) security guard, and Sarah Jungquist (Abbie Maciosek) current assistant to the deceased.  Are they lying or telling the truth.  Only Bjorn knows and a dead man tells no tale.  As author Rand puts it, “The events feature the confrontation of two extremes, two opposite ways of facing existence: passionate self-assertiveness, self-confidence, ambition, audacity, independence — versus conventionality, servility, envy, hatred, power-lust.”

Director Mrs. Lisa S. Schock will head up the acting ensemble that will also double as the production work crew from props, to costumes, to publicity, to scenery and everything else in between as well as the current run crew consisting of:   Sound Jesus Maldonado, Lights Vada Herold, Video Kylie Mullikin, Costumes/Make-up Kaden Hoesely, Kamila Medrano, Ushers Luz Gomez Juarez & Malaina Tullius and Tickets Heidi Hernandez & Jennifer Perez Cruz.  Thank you for your fine arts support and we can’t wait to see you Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March 25, 2023 starting at 7:30 p.m. with the Night of January 16^th.  Which side will YOU believe?