A Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at East Forsyth High

By Press release submission

Oct 25, 2021

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools issued the following announcement on October 20.

The East Forsyth High production of “The Lead Rings on the Merry-Go-Round” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28, 29 and 30 in the auditorium at East Forsyth. Tickets for the show are $7. Tickets for dinner and show are $40. General admission tickets may be purchased the day of the show. The deadline for dinner reservations is noon on Monday Oct. 25. To make a reservation, go to Dinner.

Mask 1By Kim Underwood

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools

OCTOBER 21, 2021 – Yes, COVID-19 restrictions mean that East Forsyth High students will have to wear masks while performing on the stage.

But, after the school’s musical was cancelled less than two weeks before it was scheduled to be performed in 2020 and with students not being able perform in a production since, they are delighted to be able to step onto the stage at last.

As freshman Sawyer Wemyss put it: “If it’s between acting with a mask and not acting at all, I would rather act with a mask.”

Theatre Arts Teacher Tiffany Burgess is directing. (Students and adults alike affectionately refer to Burgess as “Burg” – rhymes with “merge.”)

She and the students are not stopping with simply staging The Lead Rings on the Merry-Go-Round. For those who are interested, they are also offering limited seating for a dinner before the show.

The evening is being promoted as “A Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.”

Mask 2Senior Marygrace Wickeresty is the stage manager for the production. At a rehearsal earlier this week, she said they have taken care to follow protocols.

During rehearsals, she said, “We make sure everyone has their masks on.”

From time to time, they will take a “mask break” and those who want can step outside to breath some fresh air without a mask.

Wickeresty has been participating in the theater program at East Forsyth since she was a freshman.

“I just love having dedicated time being with my friends and doing things we love,” she said.

In the past, she has acted in productions. This time, she chose to be the stage manager because she wanted a better feel for that aspect of a show.

It’s going to be a great show, she said, and she encourages people to come.

“We’ve got a really good production going.”

Senior Katie Glover has been acting ever since she was a student at East Forsyth Middle.

“It’s a way to express yourself,” she said.

Mask 3She, too, values working together with other students.

“It creates a family,” Glover said.

Glover is excited to able to participate in a show for the first time in more than 1½ years. She was one of those who would have been in the spring musical that was cancelled in 2019.

Having it cancelled, she said “was rough.”

And not being in a show since has been hard. She likes finishing a school day and then knowing that she is going on to catch up with her friends. Sometimes, it has felt odd to get to the end of the school day and that’s it.

Although wearing a mask makes projecting harder, she said, “it’s not as restricting as I thought it was going to be.”

The Lead Rings on the Merry-Go-Round is staged as a live-action radio play that follows a series of grisly murders plaguing San Francisco.

Mask 5“It’s a story of no escape,” Glover said. “It’s a fantastic show. We have put a lot of work in it.”

As the Running Crew Chief, senior Makatiea “Katie” Palmer is in charge of making sure that all of the props and set pieces are where they should be.

“I really like the technical aspect of it,” Palmer said. “I really like being behind the scenes.”

With the need for crew members to wear masks in mind, they simplified the logistics of the production some so they don’t have to move heavier things around during the show – which might present a breathing challenge.

“It would be hard to wear masks,” Palmer said.

Senior David Nicoletta plays several roles in the production. Although wearing a mask presents challenges – “with a mask, it’s hard to project” – it’s worth it to be able to act again.

“Acting is really fun,” Nicoletta said.

Plus, playing a character helps gives him a sense of what could be going on with such a person in real life.

“It allows me to understand what they go through,” he said.

Mask 6People who saw the Summer Enrichment Program musical “Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical” have seen Sawyer Wemyss act. She played Matilda. She loves theater and is thinking about pursuing that as a career.

“I would love to be a teacher like Burg,” she said.

Burgess, who graduated from East Forsyth in 1996, is in her 18th year of teaching there.

When Godspell was cancelled in 2020, she said, “We were 11 days from opening. It was heartbreaking.”

The following year, putting on a production was not even a possibility.

It’s great to be back, she said.

“What I do as a director, I don’t do for myself,” Burgess said. “I do it for my kids.”

For many of them, participating in a production is quite enriching.

Mask 8“For some, this is why they get up and come to school,” she said.

Although putting on a show while wearing masks presents challenges when it comes to projection, articulation, and facial expressions, it’s all worth it.

As it happens, Burgess’s brother is the chef for the dinner. Travis “T-Bone” Burgess is a professional chef who will be creating a four-course meal.

“He is a dang-good chef,” Burgess said. “I think dinner is going to be fantastic.”

Sawyer Wemyss’s mother, Shannon Wemyss, who is the Financial Secretary at Sedge Garden Elementary, is among the volunteers working to support the production and dinner.

“Yes!” Shannon Wemyss said. “We understand the need to make sure we are staying safe and promoting the event accordingly.”

All individuals will be required to wear masks in the auditorium, including the performers.

Mask 10 We will be using 48” round tables for seating and attempting to put family/friends together.

Dinner guests will be masked when not eating (exactly what we are doing in the schools cafeterias)

Guests NOT participating in dinner will be a minimum of 10 feet + behind the dinner guests

Dinners will be plated and NOT buffet style.

Here is the cast for Lead Rings on the Merry-go-Round:

Davey Nicoletta

Maelyn Leitch

Reagan Banville

Leila Gaither

Ashira Sales