After hours of laboring over her masterpiece, junior Shane Munson sends in her Murder Mystery Night (MMN) script for submission. Her energetic and hilarious script was a sure candidate to be chosen out of many others submitted to be performed onstage at CHS’s annual Murder Mystery Night. MMN is a student produced and directed three-act play that raises money to fund the theater program. Munson has worked diligently to get her script to show-ready status, and she is both excited and anxious to see her piece come to life on the stage.

“[The play] is a southern Gothic mystery centering around a masquerade ball,” said Munson. “The first act is the set-up, and the second act is where the drama really begins.”

After transferring to CHS, Munson has become very involved with the theater program. Having played several lead roles in theater productions, Munson identifies herself as a “theater kid.”

“I absolutely love the theater program here,” said Munson. “Everyone here is so supportive, and the productions are so high-quality.”

Munson has always been passionate about writing. Her experience with acting and performing in main-stage shows has given her a unique perspective from which to craft her original script for the upcoming show. Munson believes that the student-run nature of MMN is what inspired her to submit her script for consideration.

Munson’s masquerade-ball themed drama will be playing, appropriately, in a “dinner-theater” format. Between the three acts are two intermissions during which dinner and dessert will be served. While the audience dines, characters from the show will mingle among the audience to provide hints about the identity of the murderer. The table that is able to figure out who the murderer is during the second intermission will win a prize, but all proceeds will help to fund CHS’ theater program.

“[The show] will have you on the edge of your seat,” said Munson. “It is not like any other production, because the script is totally different every year.”
More than anything, Munson is ecstatic to see her hard work come to fruition in the showing of her play. Having her work chosen is an incredible honor, and Munson looks forward to the rewarding experience of seeing her first original script acted out onstage.

“I am so excited to see the final product and see my words come to life onstage,” said Munson. “Since the whole process has been so rewarding, I am definitely considering screen-writing for a career.”

This is just the beginning of what will surely be a long and diverse career for Munson. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in the film or theater industry and may continue to write screenplays in addition to an acting career. With her combined experience onstage and behind the scenes, Munson is perfectly poised to one day be a household name in the entertainment industry.