Community theater presents hit mystery thriller "Girl on the Train"

Washington County Theatre (WCT) is following up the first show in its 2025-26 season, the hugely successful “Annie,” with a spine-tingling whodunnit that was a box-office triumph a few years ago at the cinema: “The Girl on the Train.”

Director McKenna Hedrick directs Alli Elliot and Kara Blake during an intense scene.

Based on the best-selling novel and the DreamWorks film, the stage adaptation was written by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel and first performed in England in 2018. WCT’s production is directed by McKenna Hedrick. Shows are set for Friday and Saturday (Nov. 7 and 8) at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (Nov. 9) at 2:30 p.m. and, Hedrick said, are sure to please area audiences.

“It’s that time of year for thrillers and suspense and things that are a little bit darker. And it’s just something a little fun because audience members can get into the mystery. You don’t know until the very end because even the characters themselves don’t know what happened. Every single character in the show has something to hide,” she explained.

Cast member Kara Blake agreed. “At the very first rehearsal, McKenna told the cast, ‘Every single character lies.’ And that’s absolutely accurate.”

Hedrick added, “That’s something I always enjoy about mysteries—trying to figure it out along with the characters. It’ll keep the audience guessing. It’s a heavy show, but there’s a lot to think about.”

The story involves Rachel Watson (Blake), a young woman traveling on a commuter train each day who notices the disappearance of a woman named Megan (Kaylee Barriger) whom she usually sees out the window at a certain house. Unhappy with her own lot in life, Rachel is first simply concerned but soon becomes obsessed about the missing woman’s situation, eventually becoming a suspect in Megan’s disappearance.

As a child, Blake acted in WCT productions—for example, donning a hoop skirt as a cast member in “Oklahoma!”—and said she dreamed of one day having a “complex, juicy” role like Rachel.

“On the surface, someone might look at my life and say I’m nothing like her, but I feel deep empathy for her. I can see why she’s in the situation that she’s in and how she’s developed this drinking problem and this really messed up, complicated relationship with her ex-husband. She just wants to have a purpose, and that’s why, when she sees this opportunity to help with this disappearance, she’s just drawn in. She is so eager to just do whatever she can, even if that means lying, even if that means making things worse in some cases, because she’s so desperate to help,” said Blake.

The cast also features Jacob Dufour in the role of Tom Watson, ex-husband of the troubled Rachel. Rebecca McKinley plays Anna Watson, and Nathan Smith plays Scott Hipwell, the husband of the missing woman. Daniel Miner plays Dr. Abdic, and Detective Gaskill is played by Alli Elliott. Assistant Director Hannah Ingram rounds out the cast in portraying the Secretary and Police Officer.

“The Girl on the Train” contains coarse language and depictions of violence. Kissing occurs in two scenes, with suggestive themes used in the story. The show is for adults and for teenagers at their parents’ discretion.

Sponsored by Loy and Fordyce Insurance and presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals, the show will be performed at Gary W. Hartsook Hall, 405 N. Shelby Street in Salem.  Tickets are available at the door, which opens a half-hour before showtime. Adults are $12, and students are $10. For more information, call 812-620-3701.