Theatrefolk Featured Play - The Plucky Pie Murder

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight! The Plucky Pie Murder by Dara Murphy is an incredible way to challenge perspectives and find humour in unexpected places. A black comedy extraordinaire!

The star quarterback of Riverview High School has been charged with murder most fowl! Rooster, to be precise.

Plucky the mascot has been done in and all fingers point to the football player - even his own.

A farce of a trial ensues featuring an inept judge, an unprepared defence lawyer, and an Egg-Girl.
The audience plays the jury in this hilarious black comedy. Two possible endings!

Why did we publish this play?
The Plucky Pie Murder is a black comedy extraordinaire. It's the play to choose if you're in the rare position of having a lot of guys in your drama class or club. We love how Dara writes plays. Some may call it weird, which I would consider a compliment. She's said that she likes "finding humour in unexpected places." She also likes that humour can be used "to challenge people's perspectives." It's important to us to have plays that challenge people's perspectives! Sit back and enjoy the ride with this play.

Fun fact: When we accepted The Plucky Pie Murder Dara was the youngest playwright in our catalogue. She had written the play for a high school assignment and her teacher submitted it to us.

Let’s hear from the author!

1. Why did you write this play?
I wrote The Plucky Pie Murder when I was in grade 12. It was a drama class assignment that asked us to write a one-act play. I don't remember how I got the idea for the script, but at the time I enjoyed TV shows like Murder She Wrote and Matlock. My teacher liked my play, and at the end of the school year, she recommended that I submit it to Theatrefolk. I was very excited when Theatrefolk said they were interested in publishing it! My mom even flew us to California so we could watch the first performance. That experience cemented my love for writing and theatre.

2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.
This play is a courtroom drama and a football game rolled into one. I would say the theme is the importance of getting to know a person beyond simply looking at their mascot costume, job, reputation, or appearance.

3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?
My favorite visual is the waterboy keeping the defense team hydrated during the court proceedings.

4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?
If you produce this play, I would recommend keeping the pace of the dialogue very snappy. This will help the jokes land, and it will keep the energy high. People could even talk over one another.

5. Why is this play great for student performers?
This play is great for student actors because it's a lot of fun. It's goofy and silly, and it would be perfect for an energetic group. The jokes come and go quickly, and there's never a dull moment.

6. Who is your favourite character in the play?
If I were in this play, I would want to be Ms. Duncan because she's a serious lawyer who gets to pepper everyone with important questions.

7. What is your favourite line in the play?
It's hard to pick my favorite line. I like the section when Mr. Teedle is questioning the forensic specialist on whether the mascot costume is a rooster or a chicken. I also like Mr. Teedle's hopeless opening statement: MR. TEEDLE: Okay, to begin I would like to say that my client is innocent. Very… innocent. So innocent, you could throw him into a lake and he would sink… Ha ha, little witch joke there. So, to close my opening statement I would like to repeat that the innocence of my client is very… ah… very big. Thank you.