EVANSTON — Mrs. Tarragon in the dining room with the pistol. 

Such was the solution to the Evanston High School Drama Devils’ dinner theater murder mystery, “The Murderous Mansion of Ms. Uno,” by Don Zolidis, staged Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 and 2. 

The general, the attorney, the professor, the wife of a senator, the brothel owner and the cell-phone and selfie obsessed Miss Daphne — all with something to hide — responded to a dinner invitation, only to find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery and confronted with some of their darkest secrets, right along with the butler, the maid and the chef. 

The intimate production took place in the EHS auditorium, where the audience joined the cast onstage. While attendees were seated at tables the cast weaved among the audience to various “rooms” in a bit of clever staging. 

The Drama Devils put on multiple performances of the production, with some featuring a full dinner and others being dessert-only performances. At intermission, theater-goers were asked to attempt to solve the mystery, putting cards in boxes marked with names of cast members. 

The cast continued to interact with the audience even during intermission, never breaking character.

Maggie Russell played Mrs. Tarragon, the pill-popping, condescending, murderous senator’s wife, with obvious enthusiasm, as her character ultimately offed most of the rest of the named cast of Sheyla Espinoza, Josie Dennis, Sam Russell, Hannah Linford, Caitlyn Morrow, Tommy Farrens, Chandaln Curtis, Nikki Bott, Maya Angwin and Job Anderson. 

Directed by Erin Russell, “The Murderous Mansion of Ms. Uno,” highlighted the talents of EHS actors, set designers and crew in a bit of fun taken straight from the classic who-done-it tales of countless novels, theater productions and more than a few games of Clue.