Detroit Catholic Central’s Drama Club is set to take the stage for its annual Fine Arts Festival production with Is He Dead?, a comedy by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives. 

The show will be performed Friday, May 2, and Saturday, May 3, at 7 p.m. in the Immersion Theater located inside the George and Mary Turek Hall of Science.

The play follows French artist Jean-François Millet, who, in a desperate attempt to improve the value of his artwork, fakes his own death. The plan leads to a series of complications, impersonations, and unexpected twists. It’s a smart, fast-paced comedy that gives students the chance to work with classic material in a modern context.

This production is a highlight of the school year for the Drama Club, which offers students a space to explore performance, develop teamwork, and build confidence. In addition to weekly meetings, students participate in field trips to local theater productions and collaborate each spring on the annual school play.

The cast is as follows:

• Agamemnon Buckner, a.k.a. Chicago: Caleb Adam ‘25
• Hans von Bismarck, a.k.a. Dutchy: Peter Sanin ‘25
• Marie Leroux: Maddie Leneschmidt (Northville High School)
• Cecile Leroux: Cordelia Gismondi (St. Frances Cabrini)
• Papa Leroux: Louis Weber ‘25
• Jean-François Millet/Widow Daisy Tillou: Braden Kendall ‘25
• Bastien André: Yechiel Gutiérrez-Diaz ‘25
• Madame Bathildez: Maria Perrier (St. Catherine of Siena)
• Madame Caron: Brooke Winkler (St. Catherine of Siena)
• Phelim O’Shaughnessy: Nick Murray ‘25
• Basil Thorpe/Claude Rivière/Charlie/King of France: Tyson Washington ‘28
• The Sultan of Turkey: Parker Heeley ‘26
• The Emperor of Russia: Louis Smedley ‘25

This marks the fourth CC production for Braden Kendall ‘25, while Caleb Adams ‘25 is performing in his third.

"I first joined Drama Club a few years ago after spotting a flyer about try-outs. I tried out just for fun and never looked back. Drama Club has given me so many great memories and experiences," Caleb shared.

Tickets are available online at https://our.show/is-he-dead-dccdrama.

• Adult tickets are $15
• Student tickets are $10
• The play runs approximately 90 minutes with one 15-minute intermission
• All sales are final

We hope to see you there!