All aboard for an evening of intrigue! Donegal Performing Arts will present Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21 and 22, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23. A free preview for senior citizens age 65 and up will be held on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. The shows will be held in the high school auditorium, 1025 Koser Road, Mount Joy.

Just after midnight, a snowstorm halts the famous Orient Express train in its tracks. By morning, one passenger is dead, an American tycoon found stabbed eight times behind a locked door. Trapped in the snow with a killer on board, the remaining passengers must depend on the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery before the murderer strikes again.

The case proves to be a challenge for the normally unflappable Poirot, shared Derek Palmeri, a senior who portrays the character.

"He's solved many cases over the years, and he has always held himself up to a high standard. He knows he's right in every way, except for when this case comes his way," Derek explained. "He gets stuck in a roadblock trying to solve it, which has never happened before."

Like other characters in the play, Derek had to perfect an accent for his character.

"He's Belgian," Derek explained of Poirot. "I've been practicing by watching the movies of this story over and over again and watching YouTube videos." He also picked up accent tips from his teacher's husband, who is Belgian. Other students had to learn to perfect accents including Russian, Swedish and Hungarian.

Joining Poirot on the train is a cast of characters full of personality. Junior Liliana Ware plays Princess Dragomiroff. Like many of her castmates, she is an understudy and will perform in the Saturday show.

"We're calling the principal cast the 'overstudies,' and they'll perform on the 21st and 23rd," she explained. "It's been really fun being a part of this show because there are flashbacks at the end when you find out who commits the murder, and both casts get to be on stage as body doubles in the flashbacks."

Liliana portrays a Russian princess who has been exiled.

"She's very outspoken about what she wants and about other people," Liliana shared. "She name-calls in the show. She's very stern and very strong-willed. It's a fun character to play."

Senior Samantha Alampi portrays Greta Ohlsson in Saturday's performance and plays the role of Nanny as well as serving as a member of the ensemble in the other performances.

"It's a very serious show, with themes of 'What is justice?'" she said. "My character is very hysterical, and she cries a lot. Most of my lines are delivered while I'm crying, so it's been a fun challenge to learn how to act while crying."

Describing her character, outspoken American Helen Hubbard, freshman Julia Slobozien said, "She's a loud person who definitely wants to make her presence known to people, but toward the end of the play, you see more of the cool side of her."

Julia will portray Helen in the Friday and Sunday performances, and she said audiences are in for a wild ride with the show.

"It's a serious show, but it's also so fun to watch," she said. "Mysteries are really fun, and it's cool to see the plot develop and how everybody plays a role in the storyline. This is a show that leaves you thinking about it even after the show has ended."

Samantha agreed, adding, "There's drama. There's a slight love story. There are funny bits. It's a little hodgepodge of everything. It's also cool that with two casts, you can come see the show twice and get a different experience based on the cast members' acting choices and different people on stage."

Liliana invites anyone up for a bit of adventure to check out the show.

"If you like murder-mysteries, feeling suspense and being on the edge of your seat, this is a great show for you," she said.

Derek cautioned that audiences should be prepared for a wild ride aboard the Orient Express.

"This show is full of action after action. It's fast-moving," he said. "There are so many different things going on all the time; it keeps you on your toes. You are just locked in on the action on the whole time."

Tickets for "Murder on the Orient Express" are available at http://www.dpa.donegalsd.org and will be sold at the door.