By Carter James, Editor in chief

The lights come down. The curtain opens. The house lights come back on?  A mime peeps out from the left curtain with a box. They stand atop the box. The mime mimes for a moment but then raises their hands. As they lower their hands, the house lights dim and the show lights illuminate the stage.  The mime claps and the strum of guitar strings is heard. We begin.  

Mimes dance in unruly syncopation. This ensemble of mimes harmonizes together as they invite us to peer into something forgotten, something unknown.  

We are set on a journey into “Kaleidoscope.” 

A person found dead in a room is all there is to make out on the surface.  

Two officers arrive at the crime scene. The Chief, played by Cole Wilson, and Lieutenant, played by Sara Buttram. Lieutenant presents Chief with more questions than answers. This case lacks significant cluesexcept for one object, a kaleidoscope.  

Chief suggests that they give this case to Detective Dansby. Lieutenant doubts the ability of Dansby but is fine throwing the case to him because it’ll be something to keep her busy. 

Enter Dansby, played by Jay Dixon, who accounts for the time and the pastrami on rye sandwich that isn’t sitting well. He’s on the prowl. He can feel something in their bones.  

Dansby has no friends, no family, but he finds comfort in crime.  

Crime is what Dixon belts out for an extended period of time, with a quick breather to move their magnifying glass that’s acting as a microphone around in multiple directions as they hit some vocal highs. This initialbelt sends us to jazzy musical number “Crime is My Only Friend.” 

As Dixon sings about how comforting crime is as a friend, the ensemble of detectives work as backup singers. For a moment, we have a tap break from an ensemble member. This prompts Dansby to comment “I thought that was their thing,” in reference to Gold Side’s history of tap numbers.  

Dansby’s musical number comes to a halt Lieutenant asks what she is doing singing and dancing at the crime scene. This adds to the Lieutenant’s doubts as she refers to Dansby as a disgrace and a screw up. The Chief shows back up to let Dansby know she has 24 hours to solve the case before being fired.  

The clueless detective asks for a clue, to which the Chief points out the kaleidoscope that Dansby should take a look at.  

With the eyes of owl, the instincts of a wolf, the speed of a hummingbird and the arrogance of a lion, Dansby starts their investigation by peering into a kaleidoscope to get to the center of this mystery.  

Our look into the kaleidoscope takes us into a teenager’s bedroom. High schooler Katie, played by Mikalah Vinson, wakes up dressed for their first day of senior year.   

Katie arrives at Evansville High. Your typical school full of bullies, nerds and bitchy teens. Her excitement for the first day manifests into a musical sequence at a high school.  

“My Perfect Senior Year” is a dreamy look into a high school that is full of hopeful singing for the year that comes.  Teens singing and dancing jovially. A live marching band with chants. Jocks dribbling basketball. Comic displays of bullying.  

After the high school shuffle subsides, Dansby emerges as lost as ever. Katie crosses paths with Dansby but their interaction is cut short by the  bully, Brentworth, played by Thatcher Carter. Brentworth steals the Kaleidescope from Dansby.  

Dansby enlists Katie to help in the investigation, but Bentworth stops them from getting the kaleidoscope. The nerd, Karl, played by Taylor McClendon,comes in to save the day… but gets pushed to the ground by Brentworth.  Karl does save the day by catching the kaleidoscope after Brentworth throws it to the ground in an attempt to break it.  

Then comes the physical manifestation of the kaleidoscope. Wilson returns to the stage to now portray the eccentrically dressed pattern of mirrors.  Kaleidoscope explains that by looking into itself, Dansby must complete what has begun.  The Kaleidoscope reveals that its physical device form is the key to cracking the mystery.  

The kaleidoscope is an interdimensional portal that can to any world. Kaleidoscope asks Dansby to break the physical device. Dansby immediately rejects the idea as it’s his only clue, but the Kaleidoscope says that he’ll still solve the case.  

“LET ME OUT” is a tense and loopy musical number that reveals breaking the device will set Kaleidoscope free. A lyrical back and forth between Dansby and Kaleidoscope leaves him with a choice. Dansby and Katie decide to peer into the kaleidoscope device in search of their next clue and destination.  

On their way between dimensions, the Triangle Man, played by Allya Florencem, calls to Dansby with the promise of giving him what he wants.  

We arrive at the last scene of “Hamlet.”  As the scene plays out, Dansby is confused by how they could be here.   Katie quickly points out that this is her favorite play. 

Hamlet, played by Olivia Reeves and Laertes, played by Alan Weston have their typical final duel but with a musical twist. Lyrics cut like the slice of a blade, but this “Hamlet Hijinks” has Osric, played by Cameron Corbitt, interjecting more than expected during the battle. Katie takes matters into her own hands by killing Hamlet to put the show back on progress.  

Osric gets hold of the kaleidoscope device and his curiosity peers into it. Dansby and Katie rush to stop him, but they’re already on their way to the next world.  On their way, they once again run into the Triangle Man, who instructs them to not destroy the device.   

The now trio of Dansby, Katie and Osric are in their strangest world yet; a world full of greasers. The filthy bar makes the trio stick out like sore thumbs, and they’re first pointed out by Foz, played by Jackson Holsomback.   

The Greasers call the trio out for being freaks that need to leave  but Katie can sense that the greasers have a freak amongst them. Foz is revealed to be hiding a notebook full of poems at the bar. 

This revelation about Foz reveals something about all the anomalous characters, they desire something that is greater than what their worlds have ascribed to them. Dansby wants to seen as worthy by her peers to be a detective. Katie wants to be accepted by her classmates in senior year. Osric wants a greater part in the story of “Hamlet.” Foz wants to be a poet in a world of illiteracy.  

Dansby’s revelation brings about Kaleidoscope, who reveals that he now has all the pieces to solve the case, but still has to put it together.  After Kaleidoscope leaves, the room of greasers and freaks is full of tension. Foz breaks the tension in the form of a song.  

“I Am What I Am (N’ Don’t Give A Damn)” is a roaring sequence of juke box do-wops and self-acceptance from Foz and the greaser gang. Every member of the gang has something more to them, revealing their inner freak, but never relishing it.  

Foz’s musical breakthrough to the rest leaves him to be a freak like the rest of our main crew. Foz happens upon the device at he bar and peers through, which sends the crew off to another world, again. 

The four are confused as to where they are but are made quickly aware that they have landed literally in the kaleidoscope.  

Triangle Man and his Geometry Girls, SIN, played by Camilla Bran, COS, played by Ember Oates and Tan, played by Charisa Moore, have dominion in this realm.  Triangle Man reveals to Dansby that she was chosen by Kaleidoscope because she’s incompetent and gullible. 

Triangle Man claims that Kaleidoscope wants to be set free to terrorize the real world but that he can take the insecurities away from the four. “Let’s Get Angular” is the sensual song that sees the triangle and the Geometry Girls luring the four with the promise of fufiling their deepest desires.  

Dansby asks the triangle what he gets to gain, to which the triangle reveals he has nothing to gain. Dansby agrees on the condition of being taken to the center of the kaleidoscope.  The Triangle Man reluctantly agrees to Dansby’s request.  

The center of the kaleidoscope finds us in a tense musical battle between Kaleidoscope and the Triangle Man. Kaleidoscope explains that when people are stripped of their individuality, they’ll be trapped inside of the kaleidoscope. Triangle Man refutes the claim as a tactic for kaleidoscope to be free and turn them into mimes. Triangle critically weakens Kaleidoscope to make Dansby’s decision easier. Dansby can’t shakethe feeling of the deal being too good to be true, but the others are eager to be rid of their insecurities.  

At a single clap, Triangle Man puts the four under a trance to start the process of stripping their individuality away. Dansby powers through the trance and gets on her feet. He realizes that the Triangle Man is the bad guy because the Kaleidoscope’s mimes fear him. 

In a reprise of “Crime is My Only Friend,” Dansby comes to terms with his individuality and shows the others that their individuality is what gives them life. He embraces that crime is now not his only friend.  

The Triangle Man doesn’t care about Dansby’s epiphany and continues to drain the group of their originality. Triangle Man sees originality as a cure, while Dansby now knows it’s their true strength. In a final plea, Kaleidoscope reiterates that true acceptance can only come from within.  

Dansby comes to a decision. He breaks the kaleidoscope device at the last minute. 

Now in the real world, the Lieutenant asks Dansby what he’s found out about the case. Dansby quickly pantomimes what happened; the Lieutenant gets nothing from that. The Lieutenant writes off this case being unsolved, citing Dansby making things worse. The Chief, however, promotes Dansby to Seargent. Chief recognizes the growth Dansby’s gone through and alludes that the case is only just beginning.  

We end our journey from a musical reflection of the journey. Dansby expresses that he’ll continue to solve cases his way. Katie finds acceptance through the person that was always there, Karl, as the two go prom. Osric now has a leading role in his story as King of Denmark. Foz has transformed the bar into a place that now has open mic nights for artists like him. 

Purple Side’s “Kaleidoscope” is a celebration of originality. A mystery that doesn’t seek to solve a case of crime, but a case of the self. Those who peer into the kaleidoscope find out that what they’re looking for has always been within them.