Players, our theater group, has begun working on its production of the spring musical Urinetown: a satirical play about a dystopian future where the government has banned private toilets. Because of this, all citizens must pay a fee to use public toilets. Urinetown is a direct critique of capitalism and social irresponsibility.

Rehearsals take place at night, while crew members create the physical world of Urinetown after school and cast members learn their songs.

The magic of a player’s show like Urinetown comes with a lot of hard work. “We put in a lot of hours making a show come to life. After almost every crew call I come home covered in sawdust, but it’s entirely worth it because I love seeing our vision of the set come to life” noted Sky Matta, SCH freshman and member of the Urinetown crew.

Urinetown is a very unique show that would not have been the first choice for many students. Compared to last year’s Into the Woods, Urinetown is different — less within the confines of a spectacular musical with catchy music — it’s more intellectual. “When the spring musical was announced I had this moment where I was like ‘What is this? Is this seriously a musical about pee?’ Then, once I started working on it, I realized why this play is so important,” Matta added.

While the crew moves stage pieces around the endless piles of sawdust on the rec floor, the cast steps into their characters, illuminating the humanity of the roles they are to play. “When I took a closer look at the show, like actually reading through the synopsis and looking at the script and vocal book, it’s so much fun, it’s sarcastic, serious yet not serious. I can’t wait for when the show comes together and we perform in April,” added Maddi Bell, sophomore cast member.

As co-president of Players, senior Agharese Olagunju McWilliams oversees every part of the process, from the choice of show, rehearsals, and crew calls, all the way to opening night. “I think it’s going beautifully so far! We have amazing voices in our cast that make the show shine. Everyone, both cast and crew, are so dedicated to what they are doing,” McWilliams noted.

She added, “I think it’s important that we are doing this show this year because in a way Urinetown mirrors our world today, one that’s extremely broken and needs some brave heroes. Our show offers hope for a future that’s better and I think that’s so crucial.”

SCH Players takes the stage with Urinetown on Thursday, April 13th. There will be four shows, one Friday (4/13), and one Saturday morning, followed by a matinee (4/14). Urinetown is sure to be a huge success for SCH Players. Make sure you come and see it.