Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) high schools are preparing for fall productions. Mysteries, musicals and mistaken identities will be showcased on stage in November and December. Young women embark on quests, some kids get their hands on golden tickets and a town and nation grapple with the harsh realities borne out of hate. 

La Plata High School opens the season with Col. Mustard, Mrs. Peacock and the rest of the dinner party guests meeting in the conservatory and other iconic rooms for “Clue: On Stage.” The murder mystery is an adaptation of the film which was based on the classic boardgame. Shows are 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2, and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 2. Tickets are $5 students and $10 for adults, with a CCPS badge honored.  Tickets can be purchased at the door in cash only or in advance online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clue-on-stage-tickets-1045313650267

The documentary-style “Trap,” by Stephen Gregg will be staged Nov. 7 through 9 at North Point High School. When every person but one falls unconscious in the audience of a high school play, interviews are used to piece together what really happened. The shows will be 7 p.m. Nov. 7-9. The show is rated PG-13. Tickets are $5 for students who are 18 and younger and $10 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online at nphs7040.ludus.com or at the door. 

The first of Maurice J. McDonough High School’s slated three shows this season is “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Join Charlie Bucket and four other golden ticket winners as they venture inside the factory of the enigmatic candymaker, Willy Wonka. Shows are 7 p.m., Nov. 8 and 9 and 2 p.m. Nov. 9 and 10. For tickets and more information, visit https://mhsdrama303.booktix.com/.

Fall down the rabbit hole at Henry E. Lackey High School when it stages “Alice in Wonderland.” Grab your top hat and pocket watch to join Alice for tea, just watch out for the Queen of Hearts. Shows will be 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14-16. Call 301-753-1753 for more information.

Westlake High School students will tell the tale of “The Witch’s Princess,” by Don Zolidis. The play follows Princess Alessandra and a band of mythical monsters on a wild quest of magic and adventure. Shows will be 7 p.m., Nov. 14-16. Tickets are $6 for students, $8 for adults. Tickets will be available at westlake.ccboe.com closer to show date. Look on the slideshow at the top of the main page for ticket information.

Members of the St. Cassian High School chamber choir have lost their lives on a faulty roller coaster, The Cyclone, in McDonough’s second offering of the season, “Ride the Cyclone: The Musical.” The choir members each tell their story to a mechanical fortune teller in hopes of earning a chance to return to life. The shows will be 7 p.m., Nov. 21 and 22. Visit  https://mhsdrama303.booktix.com/ for more information.

Thomas Stone High School is going back to 1942 for “Suite Surrender: A Farce.” It tells the story of two of feuding Hollywood actresses who show up with their entourages to the Royale Hotel for a performance. Trouble and hilarity ensue when the divas are mistakenly booked into the same suite. Shows are 6:30 p.m., Nov. 21-23. Call 301-753-1756 for more information.

“The Laramie Project,” will be staged from Dec. 13 to 15 at St. Charles High School. The play was written by Moisés Kaufman and is about the reaction of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wy. The crime put a national spotlight on the lack of hate crime laws throughout the nation and led to what is now known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The play contains mature content and may not be suitable for all audiences. Shows are 7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14, and 2 p.m., Dec. 15. Call 301-753-2090 for more information.

Bikini Bottom faces total annihilation, and its residents are cool as sea cucumbers about it. Of course they’re not! But in “The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition,” when chaos erupts, a (porous) hero emerges and reminds audiences that a little optimism can go a long way. McDonough will stage the musical in early February. Keep an eye out for show times and dates at https://mhsdrama303.booktix.com/.  

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 27,765 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).