Theater fans may think the plot of “And Then There Were None” sounds a little clique.

A group of people is drawn to a remote, isolated location without much explanation, and one-by-one, are found murdered. Those who remain must identify the killer among them to save their own lives.

“The reason the plot seems so familiar is that Agatha Christie, who wrote the book and the play, was the first,” said Richie Call, director of “And Then There Were None,” opening July 1 at Logan’s Caine Lyric Theatre.

“This is the story that started it all,” Call said. “It’s definitely the most popular murder mystery ever written. It sold more copies than almost anything but Shakespeare and the Bible.”

More than 100 million copies have been sold.

“What makes the story unique is you genuinely suspect everyone on stage, because everyone is guilty of something.”

There’s Lawrence Wargrave, a recently retired judge who becomes a natural leader for the group; Vera Claythorne, a former governess with a secret in her past; and Philip Lombard, a resourceful man who may have served as a gun for hire.

Add to that Dr. Edward George Armstrong, a recovering alcoholic whose drinking led to mistakes; William Henry Blore, a former police inspector who may have broken laws in the past; Thomas and Ethel Rogers, a butler and his wife, once accused of serious wrongdoing; Gen. John Gorden Macarthur, accused of a selfish act during war; Anthony Marston, a rich, reckless youth who shows no remorse for his actions; and Issac Morris, the criminal who was hired to get everyone to the island.

And there’s Emily Brent, a ruthless, religious woman accused of taking actions that ultimately lead to a death.

“I cut my professional teeth on in the Lyric Theatre,” said Arika Schockmel, of Salt Lake City, who plays Brent. “The first repertory season I did was with Old Lyric Rep.”

Schockmel, a Logan native and Utah State University graduate, has now performed eight non-consecutive summer seasons with the Old Lyric Repertory Company.

“I’m used to working varied jobs,” said Schockmel, who describes herself as an itinerant artist, a costume designer and a crafts person.

“What makes repertory worth it for me is in a three-month period doing three plays, it’s like nine months of acting shoved into three. My mother is still here and she takes care of my daughter, who is four and a half, and I can get a lot of acting in and also work with professionals.”

Then there’s the fun of alternating between three roles.

“My characters in ‘Noises Off’ and ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ were different, but both kind of warm, funny, relaxed women,” Schockmel said. “Emily Brent is very cold, uptight and stiff.”

Schockmel is impressed with the production values of “And Then There Were None.”

“It has a fantastic set, and the costumes by Carey Hanson are just beautiful,” the actress said. “It’s a well-done piece of theater for the 1920s. If you like mystery, it’s got all the things Agatha Christie is famous for, including an atmosphere of fear, quite a bit of tension, and women who are strong characters.”

Call noted another advantage to repertory theater.

“Everyone is capable of playing a lead, and most of them do in one of the shows,” he said. “When you’re doing any kind of play in the community, you try to put your really fantastic actors in your lead roles, and for the smaller roles, you may have to use the actors that are left who might not be right for the roles. But every single person we have is fantastic. We didn’t have to cut any corners, and that adds a lot to the show.”

“And Then There Were None” will be presented various days between July 1 and 29. It is the final show to debut in the repertory season, which also includes ”Noises Off,” ”The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” and ”Last Train to Nibroc.”

Contact reporter Nancy Van Valkenburg at 801-625-4275 or nvan@standard.net. Follow her on Twitter at @SE_NancyVanV; on Facebook at facebook.com/SE_NancyVanV.

PREVIEW

• WHAT: ‘And Then There Were None'
• WHEN: 7:30 p.m. July 1-3, 17, 18, 21, 23 and 29; 1 p.m. July 11
• WHERE: Caine Lyric Theatre, 28 W. Center St., Logan
• TICKETS: $14-$18, arts.usu.edu/lyric/