The theater department brought both comedy and mystery for this year’s spring production of “Spooky Dog and the Teenage Mystery Gang.”
A spinoff of an average “Scooby Doo” episode, the show followed a diverse group of teenage detectives who worked together to find a missing performer and a pop-culture icon at the county fairgrounds. The twist: each night featured a different performer on the loose, determined by the audience at random.
“That added an extra layer of difficulty but also fun that you don’t get with other shows,” senior and cast member Trent Blettner said.
The cast was given a buffer of three minutes to come up with their improvised lines. Designed as a comedy, the show required the actors to make jokes alluding to the chosen performer.
As director, senior Addy Welch took it upon herself to prepare the actors for improv.
“It was definitely hard to prep the cast when you’re not really sure what’s gonna get thrown at you,” Welsh said.
Even so, her cast said they felt ready going into opening night.
“Improv is not really my thing,” Blettner said. “But I feel like all the practice we did paid off.”
The Spooky Dog production made history as Lawrence High’s first fully student run production. The idea sprouted last year, when the theater department decided to produce two spring black box shows, with a director for each. Second semester, the department decided to hand one of those director roles to a student.
“[I was] asked if I wanted to direct and I was very happy to do so,” Welch said. “I really liked the idea of being in control of my own show and make decisions I wanted to.”
Welch described directing as a rewarding experience.
“I’ll never forget the first day of tech and realizing we had a show,” Welch said.
In front of an audience, the comedic aspect of the production shone through.
“Opening night was so exciting for all of us because we hadn’t been able to perform in front of an audience yet with the laughing,” junior Kylee Chee explained. “That brought a new element to the show.”
Chee, who played a leading role as Spooky Dog, said the show was particularly special because of the many seniors involved in the production.
“I’ve been doing theater with some of these people since middle school. It was my last show with some of my best friends,” Chee said.
Welsh agreed.
“Opening night was definitely harsh in terms of emotions,” she said. “I was so happy and proud but there was definitely sadness knowing that we were almost at the end of this experience.”
With roaring laughter all three nights, the production was a success. Welsh emphasized the gratification she felt.
“I’m so proud of how this show turned out,” Welsh said. “And I give kudos to everyone who helped us achieve such a good show.”
