Though Thursday night saw rain in Oak Harbor, inside the Whidbey Playhouse, people were sweating. With the Southern sun beating down relentlessly and a humid botanical garden lurking in the corner, things were heating up quickly – even before the murderer struck.

“Murder in the Magnolias,” directed by Ed Bennett, opens Friday, April 1. It’s the story of a once-wealthy family driven mad after a relative, Colonel Rance Chickenwing, is murdered before disclosing where a lump of legendary treasure is hidden. The relatives, all marked by their own personal brand of eccentricity, must come together to solve both mysteries. There’s cousin Thornbird Chickenwing III and his multiple personalities, Princess Lotta Cargo and her mental breakdown, Bubba and his bowling ball juggling, a terrifying voodoo woman and her deadly chants and cousins Amanda and Blance, who well … don’t have much of anything going on upstairs.

Bennett had his first experience with the play while he was living in Arkansas with his wife many years ago. His wife played the part of Miss Amanda, and Bennett, demonstrating his dedication to the show, wrapped himself in rubber and pillows to play the part of the 400-pound sheriff.

Bennett said he’s wanted to bring the play to Oak Harbor even since he moved to Whidbey in 2000. Eleven years later, he finally got his wish.

Though Bennett said playhouse directors often have a hard time recruiting enough actors to fill all of their parts, he had more than enough people show up to auditions. Bennett said he’s certain he’s selected the perfect mix of actors.

“They say you can tell how good a director is by the cast they pick, so in that case, I must be the best.”

Bennett said he’s proud of the way the men and women came together and he boasted about their ability to keep up southern accents throughout the performance. He said it’s obvious all of them are committed to making the show a success.

“When we’re done rehearsing people just hang around, you have to beat them out of here with a stick,” he said.

And the cast members are quick to commend Bennett on his selections.

“It’s kind of like all of the characters were typecast,” actress Ginger Williams, who plays Lorraine Carruthers, said jokingly about her fellow actors’ kooky quirks.

Jim Siggens, who plays Colonel Chickenwing, added that it’s hard to get people out of character. After the rehearsal on Thursday some of the actors continued using their accents while giving interviews, and one, Cori Siggens who plays Jezabel, even admitted she altered her appearance for the show.

“I dyed my hair (orange) for this,” she said, “so people have to come out.”

Despite the seriousness of the plot, multiple murders and a hurricane, the play is a comedy and the audience will be laughing throughout. Guests will sense the characters’ fear, feel the (relatively) normal ones’ frustrations and will be hard-pressed to solve the puzzle.

It’s difficult to truly convey the delight that stems from watching the demented characters struggle, but the play certainly shouldn’t be passed up. As Mr. Thornbird Chickenwing III (Jeff Lindgren) said himself, “All we need is a big headline in the paper that says ‘GET HERE!’”

“Murder in the Magnolias” opens at the Playhouse on Friday, April 1. The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or ordered by calling 679-2237. Visit www.whidbeyplayhouse.com for information. The show closes on April 17.