Members of the Spartan Drama Department are preparing for the Spartan Sleuth’s Murder Mystery with a special twist resulting in a final performance on May 11 in the black box theater.
As tradition follows, the Spartan Drama Department perform an improv mystery at the end of every year. The Spartan Sleuth’s Murder Mystery is different compared to past performances, due to a new change: The Spartan Drama Department will now be producing their own script. In past years, they have relied on finding scripts that they believe would be suitable to perform.
The current developing script is being written by 12 students: Taze Wilson, Jenna Holmes, Abby Shamerll, Siobhan Money, Jenya Loughney, Roger Pavey, Lari Roberts, Laylon Bahcom, Meredith Onions, Sarah Thomas, Nihar Behere, and Ana Silva.
Francis Dunbar, a PV teacher, thinks that the students are ready for more. “I think that the Pleasant Valley students are ready for a challenge. This allows them to have an opportunity to create something new,” he said. The developing script is based on an escape room experience, which allows the audience to be interactive.
The writers of the upcoming script confirmed that they are over halfway through the script, which includes the participation of some of Pleasant Valley High School’s teachers. The goal for writing this script was firstly to make their own, but also to make it about Pleasant Valley.
The Murder Mystery is used by the drama department to raise money for the theatre program. This fundraiser includes business connections, which allows businesses to donate in support of PV’s drama department.
Some donations are used as possible prizes to win at the Murder Mystery event. If one figures out certain aspects of the mystery such as, who did it, how, where, and more, then they win a prize, for an example, a gift card. Not only are there prizes, but awards as well, such as best costume.
This suspenseful event will occur on Saturday, May 11, at 7pm. Dunbar recommends that one should get tickets beforehand. “If you get tickets before, you are more secure in having a seat rather than getting tickets at the showing, which may run of out seats,” he said. The murder mystery will be held in Pleasant Valley High School’s black box theater.
