Central High’s performing arts department has started its early stages of production for the spring play, “Totally 80’s Prom.” The showings will be one Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m. and two on Saturday, April 11 at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. 

The play is something unique for Central and theater as a whole, as it will be an interactive, improv-based performance with a prom murder mystery the audience gets to help solve. 

“It’s a different type of show, fully improv, a variety of different styles, there are some scripted lines in the show that some characters have to memorize, but there’s also some lines that we’re going to be creating through improvisational acting,” said Scott Mead, the director of this play.

“In most shows, the audience sits and watches, and in this one, the characters from the show are interacting with the audience,” Mead said. 

At this point in the production’s early stages, the plot itself is being curated and finalized by the director, cast, and crew. As each cast member discovers more of their character, the play will come to life. 

Since his production is also almost entirely improv-based, each performer must create their character’s personality and responses to both cast members and the audience. 

“You can’t really figure out what they’re going to say, you kind of have to make those decisions, and so figuring out what you think your character would say is harder than people might think,” said Audrey Fischer, a sophomore who is playing Sarah Social, the senior class vice president. 

Another element of this show will be the performance itself involving the crew being on stage for the audience to see, allowing them to be recognized in a way that usually is unheard of. “I’m excited to bring all these pieces together,” Mead said. 

During the third week of February, students auditioned for the play, one of which being Fischer. “We had to prepare a monologue for one of the characters on the list and perform it based on what we thought our version of the character was best,” Fischer said. 

“Totally 80’s Prom” will be different from a lot of other productions Central has seen in the past, one factor being the audience participation. Audience members will be able to interact with the characters in the show, vote for the prom king and queen, and vote for who they think the murderer is. 

Throughout the next month, they will be working to make this production come to life.  

“We’re in our first week of rehearsals right now, and bam, they are jumping into this full energy, full enthusiasm, and creating some good characters already,” Mead said.  

“Come ready to dance, come ready to party, boogie on down to the “Totally 80’s Prom!” Fischer said.