Wheeler High School's theater program opens its production of "Clue" on Friday, Oct. 9. The murder-mystery comedy runs for four performances over three days at the school on Holt Road in Marietta.

The 90-minute farce is set in a 1954 Washington, D.C., mansion where six guests arrive for a dinner party, only to discover they are all being blackmailed. When the host turns up dead, the guests race to find the killer as the body count climbs.

Drama teacher Nicholas Morrett said students drove the choice. "We read it last year, and the kids wanted to do it. I had the cast for it, and so I said, 'Let's push the kids. Let's give it a try,'" Morrett said in a district feature on the production.

The show fits this year's theater program theme of cinema classics. It is based on the 1985 cult film and the Hasbro board game.

Morrett called the material demanding, saying the production is all about comedic timing and staying sharp on stage. He estimates each student has logged at least 100 hours of rehearsals, set construction and painting.

Eva Jordan, an 11th-grader playing the French maid, described her character in three words: "dramatic, nosy and frantic." One of her biggest challenges has been keeping the accent consistent throughout the show. Jordan said she hopes audiences pay close attention and leave laughing.

Multiple rooms are represented on stage, with a crew handling transitions between them. The show runs without an intermission.

Performances are Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. at Wheeler High School, 375 Holt Road NE, Marietta.

Student tickets cost $10 and adult tickets cost $20. Cobb County School District (CCSD) employees get in free with a county ID. Tickets are available at wheelerhightheatre.ludus.com.

The show times and pricing were also posted by East Cobb News.

Wheeler High Theatre's next production is "Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR.," scheduled for Nov. 13–15.