“It’s Murder in the Wings!” Expected to be a Success

“It’s Murder in the Wings,” is this year’s Arrowhead High School spring play. It  is a comedy murder-mystery that was originally written by Pat Cook. The opening night will be Thursday, May 10th at 7pm in the North Campus theater, and there will be additional showings on the 11th at 7pm and the 12th at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets for this year’s spring play will be sold at lunch, starting in April, and will also be available for purchase online or at the door for eight dollars.

“It is a comedic murder mystery,” says language arts teacher and drama director, Maralynn Markano. “A ‘whodunit.’  A publishing company [The Wings Publishing Company] is about to sign a contract with a famous playwright, to publish his newest play.  With this signing, they will also get a much needed loan from the bank, in order to save their company.  However, at the beginning of the play, the boss is found dead in his office.  The girls in the office try to hide the fact that he is dead from a host of other people while still carrying on with the party–hoping to get the find the murderer and get the loan at the same time.  One crazy thing on top of another builds the suspense and the comedy throughout the play until we eventually learn ‘who done it.’”

According to the Arrowhead Drama website, auditions took place March 21st and 22nd from 6pm to 9pm, with callbacks on March 23rd from 6pm to 10pm. These auditions were opened to all students, regardless of previous experience with theater, and were directed by Markano.

“I am playing Donald. He is the excitable boyfriend of main character-Maddie,” says AHS junior Brady Jager. “When you audition for Markano’s shows you actually don’t audition for a particular part, but I think that Donald was a character I fell in love with since the beginning.”

According to Markano, the plays vary from year to year: sometimes drama, sometimes comedy, sometimes mystery, sometimes classic, sometimes contemporary, and sometimes a musical. Markano produces two shows each year that are independent from the choir department’s Broadway Company productions. The winter production this year was the drama, “Radium Girls.”

“I intend to attend the spring play, ‘Murder in the Wings,’” says AHS junior Alex Hepfner. “The play is a fun thing to go to and I enjoy the theater.”

AHS junior Izzy Rahmel says, “ I always attend the school plays and musicals to help support the arts.  I’ve been to every play since freshman year. I’ve gone to Caesar, Radium Girls, In-laws outlaws and other people who should be shot, et cetera. I watch these plays because I want to support my friends in the productions and the theater program in general.”

In addition to drama productions, there are also three related courses open to sophomores, juniors and seniors: introduction to theater arts, acting, and directing.

Jager says, “This show is different because it’s a murder mystery. The whole show has you on the edge of your seat and keeps you guessing. All of this happens while still keeping it high energy with all of the amazing comedy. I auditioned for this show because the drama department has become my family. Every second with them makes me feel like I belong and I am who I’m supposed to be.”