If this is a student-produced production could you lower the production value a little to make it work? Projections instead of physical sets with slides designed by students(doesn't have to be theater students, could be art students), modernizing the time period to allow for students to potentially supply their own costumes/cheaper to find and purchase/rent, producing it in site-specific locations in the school to save time and money on set builds? Then the majority of your cost would just be the rights. I know the rights may tie your hands on some of this but it might be worth discussing with them so you can essentially say "no" in a way that creates opportunity. A hand-made aesthetic also usually plays well in high schools in my experiences. Just some thoughts as a teacher with a tech-theater background.
I would caution against fully cancelling the thespian show since it's your first year, especially after asking for submissions. You could introduce a system in which students can't do both Midsummer and thespian play, so they have to choose. Then the problem may solve itself without you having to look like the bad guy just cancelling the show.
I also always offer the advice that no one likes to hear but in my experience offers the best opportunities for learning and growth, which is let them take the wheel on 90% of the show. The stakes are pretty low overall since its high school. If it doesn't look great or totally work, they're still learning. Not meeting their own expectations could hurt but it also means they'll know for sure what doesn't work moving forward. A reality of being a theater professional is that you're not always gonna have as much money as you need, so that can also be a valuable lesson. Plus, colleges love stories about adversity when looking at applications. I'm a believer in reminding students, admin, audiences, etc that not every production is going to be perfect or even very good, what matters is what you learn from what did or didn't work to improve for next time. "Progress over Perfection" is the motto in my classes (and admins usually love to hear a buzzy phrase like that).
Obvi I don't know much about the situation overall but these are just some thoughts I had.
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Violet Jones
NYCDOE - Office of Arts and Special Projects
NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2025 11:08
From: Anya Brante
Subject: Shows Similar to CLUE
Hi all!
I started teaching at a new school this year and this new school has a tradition of producing a "Thespian Play" each spring that is student directed and only open to inducted thespians. I had the students interested in directing submit proposals to me so I could select the play that best fits our needs. The problem is I only had one submission, which is disappointing because I know other students were interested. It seems like they decided amongst themselves what show they wanted to do before anything was brought to me.
The show that was proposed was Clue: High School Edition. Here's the next problem- we can't afford it. The rights and materials would be equivalent to the entirety of the money in our drama account.
I looked up the licensing costs for The Mousetrap and it is a fraction of the cost for Clue. And the set needs are also simpler- only one room. But it doesn't have the same comedic elements of Clue. It's also a longer run time, which isn't ideal with a student director.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for similar shows? I feel conflicted about selecting a different show without student input, but no one else proposed shows! We're also already doing a spring play that will be rehearsed in my advanced acting class (A Midsummer Night's Dream- FREE!). Should I bother moving forward with the thespian play? It feels wrong to cancel it now after calling for submissions...
Any and all thoughts are appreciated!
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Anya Brante
Theatre Teacher/Director
Paulding County High School
GA
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