Murder and mayhem don’t usually pair well with laughter and comedy. The Hamilton Southeastern High School Drama Club will do just that when it brings to life the 1970 play “Done to Death.”
“It’s a comedic mystery by Fred Carmichael,” said Ethan Mathias, co-director of the HSE Drama Club. “It’s essentially about a group of mystery writers who have seen better days in terms of popularity who are gathered together to write the ultimate mystery for a television show.”
The play will run at HSE Nov. 15, 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre.
While attempting to write their swan song, real murders start happening. Each writer uses their own style of writing to attempt to solve the murders.
“They all have very different personalities and they all write in very different styles,” Mathias said. “That brings out the humor, and they also parody each other’s work, so there is a parody of the James Bond spy thriller, a parody of the Sam Spade private detective and the silent film thriller.”
Comedy can be difficult to perform because it’s all about timing, according to cast members. HSE senior Tadd Nyland plays Rodney Duckton, the eldest of the writers.
“I love this play so much because it is a challenge,” he said. “I am a funny person, so it’s kind of fun to put my funny side out there, but through my character.”
Unlike previous performances, the 21-student production doesn’t have lead roles.
“I also like it because there are a lot of people in the cast, and I just love being around people all the time,” Nyland said. “Rehearsals are always so fun when there’s so many people there. I can’t wait to see the end results of the show.”
Tickets are $8 for students (6 to 18), $6 for children (ages 5 and under), $9 for adults and $8 for seniors (ages 65 and above). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit hsedrama.org.
