From Nov. 16 through 18, TheaterMcLean put on Urinetown, a dark musical satire that shines light on important issues such as poverty, capitalist greed, and environmental sustainability. It was a stark contrast to past musicals put on at McLean, but it certainly made a splash. On the stage, we were met with an urban slum, with the actors portraying suffering poor citizens on stage. 

Urinetown is set in a futuristic city in America, where a crippling drought pushed the city to pass legislation where, well, you have to pay to use the the bathroom. This legislation backed by the “Urine Good Company,” who runs the public bathrooms and profits from the revenue. Those who disobey this legislation is carted off to a city called Urinetown. After his father was taken away to Urinetown, the male lead Bobby Strong, played by sophomore, Casey Prestidge, is lead to start a revolution to fight against the tyranny of the Urine Good Company, and its CEO Mr. Cladwell, played by junior, Benji Harris. 

TheaterMcLean put on an incredible performance. The set design transformed the stage to an urban slum and a profitable business, the makeup and costume departments transformed the students to their characters, and the cast themselves took us right to the town and shared their stories with us. Overall, Urinetown left audiences with their jaw dropped. I cannot wait to see what TheaterMcLean has in store for Lord of the Flies and Peter and the Star Catcher. 

Rating: A+