Drama Teacher and Department Chair Stephanie Romankow is gearing up for this year’s Fall Play, Clue, the board game turned movie turned play, in what’s sure to be a nostalgic whodunit for Pingry audiences when it goes live in Macrae Theatre the Second weekend in November. A fast-paced comedy, Clue is bound to keep audiences on their toes even, as Mrs. Romankow admits, “people are dropping like flies.”
With her affable demeanor and commitment to creativity, Mrs. Romankow comes across as friendly and supportive. But that warm exterior has its limits. Starting with the game of Clue. “I never let anyone win,” she says, sounding just as cold as one of the notorious Clue characters. “I’m very competitive.”
When she set about thinking of ideas for the Fall Play, she was determined to have the experience be one of joy. “Let’s come together and just have a good time,” she says casually. “I didn’t want anything heavy this season.” Which is all fair and good until one inquires what the theme of the play is. “The theme is murder,” she says, with unerring enthusiasm.
With a cast that includes the fierce talents of Mykah Weckesser ’25 as Miss Scarlet and Sylvia Ardon ’25 as Mrs. Peacock, all of the elements of the play are coming together, piece by piece, as Mrs. Romankow works closely with Tech Director Joseph Napolitano. “The set has gone through a number of variations,” she enthuses during only the second week of school. Still, her delight is contagious.
“I’m very excited for it,” she says, and then, perhaps considering all those unfolding crime scenes before her, she pauses ominously. “And I’m terrified.”
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A director, as the name implies, is involved in all elements of a production—calling the shots, coaxing the actors to their best, considering the audience's viewpoint at every turn, working with the tech crew to bring the world of the play to life. “Ultimately, I am responsible for shaping the show,” Mrs. Romankow emphasizes.
It's the level of involvement and control—or lack thereof—that can be so magical and terrifying all at once. “It’s like that saying, ‘if I don’t laugh, I’m going to cry’,” she says. “I often feel that with a production, because there are so many moving parts it’s outside of my control.”
Still, there is nowhere else she would rather be. “I believe that a director has to be the person who cares about every element of the production. I have to care about how the actors are feeling—what their experience is, how it’s translating to the audience. I need to care about how all of the elements of a production are working in tandem.” Indeed, the cast is settling into their parts, the set is coming together, and production is already well under way. “I always tell my students when I’m in the role of a director and they’re actors onstage, it’s my job to let you know what the audience is receiving. And that is for every element of the production. Ultimately, as the director, I have the final say. I rely heavily on others to help provide options and different perspectives, but I decide what we’re going with.”
They say comedy is harder than drama because comedic timing is so challenging to get right, and Clue is a perfect example. Calling it a “true ensemble piece” because the characters are all on stage together so frequently, Mrs. Romankow is thrilled to see where her cast takes the play creatively. “Comedy still has to be true,” she says. “It’s not a joke. No one will laugh if there is not truth in it. You still have to play to the seriousness of a situation.” Noting that the physicality and vocal inflections may be heightened, she emphasizes that the “intention and meaning behind it has to be truthful. And that’s where it’s complicated.”
Yet when everything comes together in a production, there is simply nothing quite like seeing a live comedy. “Ultimately, it’s a shared live experience,” she says. “We’re laughing at something we connect with that resonates with us.” And if, paradoxically, that shared experience is a whodunit murder mystery that brings joy? Mrs. Romankow is okay with that. “That’s why we laugh.”
Come November, audiences can plan on a little mystery in their lives. Will it be Miss Scarlet? Colonel Mustard? Or perhaps that crafty Professor Plum? To get a clue, be sure to check out Mrs. Romankow’s spirited autumn whodunit. Just don’t challenge her to the board game in the meantime.
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To contact the author: Sara Courtney, Communications Writer