by Jack Long

Under the new direction of Ms. Jergens this year, many of us believed we were going to see a play that finally didn’t include the words “murder” or “mystery” in its summary. However, the undying tradition lives on this year in a new form. The actors took the stage on 15 November, performing for the middle schoolers. On the following day, the high schoolers were able to view their peers performing a comedic version of a murder-mystery. Entitled Deadly Ernest, the play consists of a man named Henry who, after a short but very dramatic phase of depression, accidentally hires a man named Ernest to kill him. What ensues is situational and dramatic irony that makes watching the play unbearable at some points.

As the back story is set up in the first few minutes of the play, you can’t help but get a little bored. It’s not the actors’ fault but rather the writing. The story doesn’t allow for much leniency in the dramatics, which is disappointing because the great acting abilities of many on the stage was being muted. The play was saved, though, when a few comedic lines dropped from senior John Gallagher’s character Ernie caused the entire auditorium to erupt in laughter. Once the story settled in everyone’s minds, the comedy began to shine a little brighter. Every actor brought with them a great performance, bringing their characters to life, which certainly made everyone laugh.

You can still see Deadly Ernest from 7-9 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, November 17-19. Ticket prices are $8 for students and $10 for adults. It’s certainly not a show to miss; and with Ms. Jergens as the new drama director, the school musical, coming in the spring, will definitely be one to remember!