Story by Kaiden Tremain

This year’s theatre production will differ from a traditional play because the audience will become part of the experience. Instead of sitting in rows and watching the actors, audience members will sit at tables, interact with characters, look for clues, ask questions, and vote on who they think committed the murder.

“I think it will be great to see how the kids deal with a challenge like that,” said theater teacher Rachel Isaac. The story will also take place during a three-course dinner, which means actors will have to stay in character while talking directly with the audience. “It combines theatre, improvisation, audience participation, and dinner theatre into one experience,” Isaac explained.

One of the biggest challenges will be keeping all of the different parts of the production organized. The students will have to manage the food, clues, audience questions, voting, character changes, and timing of each dinner course while also keeping the story moving. “One of our biggest challenges will be coordinating all of the moving pieces,” explained Isaac. The actors will also need to be ready for unexpected questions because they can’t rely entirely on memorized lines. “They have to know their characters well enough to answer unexpected questions from audience members without accidentally revealing information too early,” she continued.

For Isaac, stepping into the role of both writer and director brought a blend of anticipation and pressure. “Writing my own play has been exciting, but also a little intimidating,” said Isaac.

Taking on both roles means full creative accountability. “There is definitely more pressure because if something doesn’t work, I can’t blame the playwright—because I’m the playwright,” said Isaac. This also adds some pressure to the actors since they want to make their teacher proud. “I think it is very stressful because we know how important this is to Mrs. Isaac and to all of us,” said Annabelle Shook.

The drama department is preparing to make history with the debut of an unprecedented project. “We are creating something completely original together, and no other school or theatre has ever performed this exact show before,” concluded Isaac.