After “Red Herring” thrilled the Park Square Theatre in March, investigator Evelyn Berry returns for another twisty Minnesota murder mystery. “The Prophet” is chapter 2 in “Evelyn Berry Investigates,” a buzzworthy psychological crime series of plays created by Pedro Juan Fonseca and developed with Alex Galick. I caught a workshop reading of this play at Yellow Tree Theatre’s Playwright Festival in Osseo. The festival, now in its second year, gives local artists the opportunity to showcase work that’s in development. What I witnessed was a tense, absorbing story and an intimate peek behind-the-scenes into the creative process of a stage production.

Much to my delight, “The Prophet” was introduced by its director, local celebrity Harry Waters Jr. A tenured professor at Macalester College’s Theater and Dance Department, Waters Jr. may be best known to Twin Cities audiences as Marvin Berry in Robert Zemeckis’ classic film “Back to the Future,” where his rendition of The Penguins’ doo-wop tune “Earth Angel” serenades the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. He certainly put that famous voice to work here, delivering the stage directions with gusto alongside his cast.

As for the plot, “The Prophet” is a play that truly ups the ante, as it deals with the rapidly expanding world of online gambling, from sports betting to prediction markets. When high roller Deuteronomy “Ron” Hoyle (Kevin Brown Jr.) vanishes from the fictional Longview Resort & Casino in northern Minnesota, insurance investigator Everlyn Berry (Marci Lucht) and attorney Graham Given (Steve Mallers) must protect the gambler’s wife, Melody (Alessandria Rhines), from bookies closing in. The narrative examines what happens when the fantasy of beating the odds collides with gambling’s oldest rule: The house always wins.

Pedro Juan Fonseca’s new script is snappy and sophisticated. The dialogue is dynamic, balancing darker material with rousing humor that draws big laughs throughout the play. Fonseca’s hyper-specific details really immerse you into the setting, from the casino’s colorful dinner menu specials to the so-accurate-it-hurts descriptions of rural Minnesota highways. The story methodically unfolds with intriguing questions, suspicious events, and startling revelations that upend initial expectations – like any good murder mystery does. It’s a puzzle with many pieces, and there are lots of possibilities within the cards. It’d be a sin to spoil any of the twists, but what I can say is that “The Prophet” has plenty of clever tricks up its sleeve.

Even though this event was billed as a staged reading, the presentation felt like so much more than that. Director Waters Jr. elevated the workshop with a visual flair on par with a full production, blocking the action in front of wood-panneled doors crossed with crime-scene tape and shrouding the stage in hot pink shadows cut by golden floor lamps. There were carefully curated props, there was jubilant music, costumes were adorned, and the cast was fully-game, reveling in impressive performances that went way beyond just simply reading lines.

Fonseca and Galick’s instinct for spotlighting little-known Twin Cities talent pays off with Alessandria Rhines. As Melody, Rhines paints a vivid portrait as an outgoing partier with steely resolve. The result screams a breakout performance. Alongside her, Kevin Brown Jr. is electric as the delusional Ron, delivering the gambler-turned-prophet’s monologues with such conviction that I almost forgot he plays a towering narcissist. Steve Mallers joins the cast as Graham Given with effortless charm. He’s wonderfully understated yet highly effective as Evelyn’s conscience and confidant. Leading the ensemble is Marci Lucht, marvelously playing her role with wary intelligence and flinty wit. Her fearlessly silly dance moves during a hilarious dance break is one of the play’s standout moments. It’s a magnificent turn all-around, giving this mystery both its spine and its pulse.

Platforms like the Playwright Festival at Yellow Tree Theatre and the Park Square LAB—where the series journey began—connect theatre lovers to can’t-miss hidden gems and are a testament to how much talent is blossoming across the Minnesota arts landscape. I look forward to more stories like this getting their moment to shine, and I’m genuinely excited to see what Evelyn Berry investigates next.

Zach Murphy is an avid enthusiast of cinema, theater and storytelling. He lives with his wonderful wife Kelly in St. Paul. You can read more reviews at his blog, Fade to Zach.