About the Play

Comedy. 45-55 minutes. 9-30 any gender. Suitable for middle school and older.

Murder (Comedy) in Space! was developed under its original title of 2071 (A Moral Mystery) as part of a residency at Lower Merion Middle School. Students suggested the theme and plot settings (a moon of Saturn, the surface of Mars), and author Ed Shockley created a unique play utilizing these conditions.

Synopsis

In a zany homage to Inspector Clouseau, with a plot created by middle school students, a bumbling detective and his laser happy cohorts teleport across the galaxy to investigate the death of a futuristic champion of non-violence. The trail leads to the badlands of Mars, where the characters—and the audience—must decide if they will reveal the truth and destroy a fragile intergalactic peace or collaborate in a well-intentioned deception...