Just in time for Halloween, 40 MICDS fifth and sixth graders produced the fifth and sixth-grade play, How to Get Away with a Murder Mystery by Don Zolidis. The students’ hard work was taken to the stage this past Friday to Sunday, October 25-27, in Freeman Theatre. And what a thrill their production was!
What’s the synopsis of the play?
From Playscripts: Five mysterious color-coded guests. A mansion. A murder. Can the killer get away with it? And how will the sleuths bring them to justice? A handy guide for how to escape the law when you just happen to be a prime suspect of a mysterious murder. Told in vignettes in a style similar to 10 Ways To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse, this show hilariously skewers the tropes of the murder mystery: an airtight alibi, a long-winded monologue by a detective with an accent, an impossibly complicated Rube Goldberg murder device? Check, check, and check!
The fifth and sixth-grade play is considered an extracurricular opportunity for our students. Under the direction of Debra Mein, Middle School Drama Teacher, auditions and tech interviews were held at the end of August. Then, students began rehearsing for the clever play in September. Ms. Mein made sure that every student who expressed an interest in being part of the play had a role in the cast or crew. There were so many actors and actresses that the group was divided into a Wednesday cast and a Thursday cast. Most of the cast rehearsed once a week after school and those on the crew team participated in “Techie Tuesdays” where they worked every Tuesday on creating the costumes, designing the set, and perfecting the sound and lighting in their behind-the-scenes roles. Finally, at the end of October, everything was ready for them to showcase the finalized play through four performances including a performance for their peers during the school day.
The play was well-executed, entertaining, and captivating for all who attended. The student tech team rose to the challenge, from the running crew moving furniture on and off to the students in the booth running lights and sound. The actors and actresses had the audience hooked with many on the edge of their seats trying to figure out how someone can possibly get away with a murder mystery. There were also two seventh graders who helped in supporting roles. Download the play’s program here.
Several of the play’s participants took time to share about their experiences in this stirring production.
“I was Narrator 2 in the play,” states Priyanka Gandhi ’32. “I think the play taught me how to keep up with deadlines and memorize things. I really enjoyed the first showing we had because I had so much fun being there until the show was over—like eating pizza and chatting with my friends, and I even liked putting on makeup which I rarely do. Overall, I think that it was just a good environment to be in.”
Alice McDonald ’31 played Mr. Burgundy and enjoyed developing more as an actress through the show. “I really enjoyed this experience because I made a lot of new connections, like with new friends and people I never thought I would get to know the way I did! I also learned a lot about how to act, like how to project my voice without screaming or how to put emotion into my lines. We also practiced our lines and practiced going on stage, so I was much more comfortable when the time came to go on stage and perform. Being in this play has also helped me in drama class. My grade has gone up after doing the play. I’ve learned so much more content than I would’ve if I had skipped the play.”