Manitou drama students put on performances of the play Is He Dead? on October 26 and 27.

Is He Dead? is a comedic piece originally written by Mark Twain and adapted by David Ives.

The play takes place in mid-19th century France and follows the story of a group of struggling artists.

The story plays on the idea that artists only sell when they’re dead, so the group decides to fake the death of their friend, the lead character played by Jonathan Harmor, in order to sell his paintings.

Harmor’s character wants to keep an eye on the progress, so he disguises himself as a widow in falsetto and a garish pink dress for most of the play.

“I thought the plot was actually pretty ingenious,” said senior Rebecca Triplett, who played Madame Bathilde in the play. “It’s so far from the normal high school humor you’d expect to see.”

The cast performed Act I for the high school on October 24 and the whole play for the middle school on October 25.

Opening night saw a less than full auditorium but plenty of laughs and applause, followed by a big showing for the Saturday production.

The performers had been preparing for the production since early September, attending rehearsals and practices for four or five days a week.

Some students even had to balance play practice with a fall sport or a job.

“Being part of the play is definitely a big time commitment. You can’t be on the fence with your involvement,” said Triplett.

In spite of the play’s large pull on her time, Triplett says she enjoyed her time on the cast.

“It’s just a big family, really, and I know that sounds cliché. It’s great being with other people who are doing what they love, working through difficult things. It’s an awesome environment, and everyone was really supportive.”

By Keegan Bockhorst