Gabby Miller | Head Editor
March 6, 2026
This past Saturday, the SCHS Advanced Drama class performed their last run of their show, The Murder Mystery at the Murdery Mystery–a hysterical murder mystery filled with bad British accents, drama, and too many fire pokers to count. The show follows the cast of Putting a Little English on it and their crew the night before they open. After the unexpected death of one of their cast-mates, the cast and crew frantically scurries around as they try to solve the murder and prevent more murders.
Directed by Ella Wyatt, the show was put on by her and her small class of eleven, having to bring in three additional students just to fill the cast! This show is particularly interesting as it is a play within a play, meaning most students of the cast had two roles, which presented the students with a unique challenge when studying their characters and learning how to differentiate the two. Wyatt previously directed this show at the Cabrillo Playhouse and described that, as she was reading the script, she “kept thinking how each of [her] students fit so many of the characters” resulting in her not “even having to audition them as it was meant to be!” Despite already directing the show with a cast of adults, Wyatt expressed how she wanted to “challenge [her students] to step out of their comfort zone and be completely silly and over the top” because once they were able to “embrace the absurdity of it,” that’s when the “funniest” parts of the show were created, causing rehearsals filled with laughter, “many times, to the point of tears.”
Advanced Drama student and senior Derek Herrmann described “this show as more fun than other comedy shows [he has] done because of how [everyone was] two characters.” Herrmann played the part of Richard, whose character in Putting a Little English on it successfully brought heart and comedy to the show! Additionally, he added that “the whole premise of horrible acting allowed everyone to go totally over the top and just have fun.” He expressed gratuity for his “amazing director, [for] allowing [his cast and him] to do that and have so much fun.”
Furthermore, Wyatt shared that, “on top of the performance on stage, [her] students were also responsible for the technical aspects of the show–costumes, publicity, props, sets, hair, and makeup–working together to create a cohesive environment and look that was really effective.” Additionally, with such little funding, this was definitely a struggle, but the class definitely brought together a beautiful production. Senior and Advanced Drama student, Sydney Ingersoll shared how “as an actor, taking part in the props crew was a super fun challenge, helping [her] appreciate all the unseen work crews put in in order to really make the actors shine on stage.” Additionally, she explained how, though “it was a struggle at times, [it] felt really rewarding seeing the vision come together.”
From good and bad acting, to beautifully impressive technical elements achieved under an extremely low budget, Ella Wyatt and her Advanced Drama class put together a killer show–quite literally! Wyatt is “so proud of the final product,” and she has every reason to be. Make sure to catch SCHS Drama’s next production, Grease: School Edition on Upper Campus, running April 16-18 and 23-25.
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