NMH Theater Opens Season With Satiric Musical “Urinetown”

Northfield Mount Hermon opens a new season — and a new chapter in the theater department — with a little dark levity on Nov. 13 when the Performing Arts Department presents “Urinetown: The Musical” in the Chiles Theater.

The play, which runs through Nov. 15, takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which a severe drought and corporate greed have led to the regulation of certain bodily functions. The Urine Good Company, which owns all the toilets in town, charges citizens a fee to pee. Those unable or unwilling to pay are sent to a mysterious gulag known as “Urinetown,” never to be seen again.

When protagonist Bobby Strong leads a rebellion against the UGC and its leader, Caldwell B. Cladwell, chaos ensues, complicated by the fact that Strong is in love with Cladwell’s daughter, Hope.

“Urinetown”’s exploration of environmental degradation, predatory exploitation, and populist depredation — filtered through a satirical lens that pokes fun at the musical genre and theater conventions — made it a natural choice for the present moment, said Eddie Yankow ’13, who returned to his alma mater this year as its new theater director.

“I really enjoy how NMH has a clear mission and so many opportunities throughout campus life and the curriculum to dive deep into that mission and put it into action,” said Yankow. “What's cool about this play is that it highlights a lot of nuance, which I feel gets lost in this day and age. It really aligns to that ‘humanity and purpose’ heartbeat of the school.”

“If you think about the world today, and especially in some communities that are struggling, you can see a lot of similarities there,” said Charlotte Relyea-Strawn ’26, who plays Hope Cladwell. “There's also this theme of love and how you navigate that when people have different political beliefs — how do you sustain that and not let your beliefs take over?”

Though the subject matter underpinning the play is heavy, “Urinetown”’s zany levity offers a comedic shift from the musicals NMH has produced in recent years, said Anthony McNamara ’26, who plays the show’s principal narrator, Officer Lockstock.

“‘Urinetown’ sort of makes fun of that darkness,” said McNamara. “It's saying, ‘Yeah, life is rough, but we're gonna make fun of ourselves while we look at these things.’”

With a cast of nearly 30 students — many of whom are new to NMH theater — and a new director in Yankow, putting “Urinetown” together has been a true team effort for the entire Performing Arts Department.

“I'm working with a lot of different kids and a lot of different experience levels,” said dance teacher Gretel Schatz, who designed the choreography for NMH’s production. What has been constant is students’ willingness to dive into their roles and the over-the-top nature of the show.

“The students are very game to be silly,” Schatz said. “They’re really open and ready to take risks and try on multiple roles and personas, often in the same number.”

Unlike past productions, such as last year’s “Hadestown,” costume designer Ellie De Lucia said, “Urinetown” focuses more on supporting the narrative on stage than evoking a particular ambiance or time period.

“With the costuming, you're trying to connect all these mini little sidebar moments, making sure that it doesn't get lost in the whole plot,” De Lucia said. “Just those little touches — a nicer belt or jacket, but the pants aren't sitting the right way — is enough of a subtle hint for the audience’s subconscious to see where we are. You're trying to project the character to the audience before they even speak a line.”

The team effort extends to senior class members in the cast, who have taken a leadership role in mentoring younger students and helping to set the tone, said Aurora Song ’26, who plays the protagonist, Bobby Strong.

“It's very interesting to be in a similar position to the seniors that went before us,” said Song. “I don't always feel like I'm the exact role model or actor that they were in my perspective as a junior or sophomore. At the same time, there’s so many things that we know that we could help out the rest of the cast with. It definitely adds perspective to the process.”

While building trust and cohesion took some time, McNamara said, the younger students have risen to the occasion.

“Seeing their confidence on stage and their ability to portray these characters has been super impressive,” he said. “There’s so much potential; I’m excited to visit in the coming years and see them grow.”

“Urinetown”’s unique blend of quirkiness and wry humor has brought new experiences for the senior class as well, as they prepare for their last musical production at NMH.

“I have this role where I can really be silly and goofy without any real limits,” said Henry Ormont ’26 of his character, Officer Barrel. “There's a lot of time where I'm on stage without lines, so I've had to take very different approaches to how I've acted previously. Having to balance my character in that sense has been a challenge, but I've really enjoyed making it my own.”

That ability to reveal new facets of ourselves and the world we inhabit is what makes “Urinetown” such a powerful play for performers and audiences alike, said Yanko. “What I love about doing theater here is it's a place where students can hone their artistic skills and intellectual skills at the same time,” Yankow said. “They're coming out of here not just as skilled artists or skilled thinkers, but a merging of the two. That was one of my favorite things of being a student here: You’re not just getting placed in a box.”

— Max Hunt

NMH Performing Arts' presents “Urinetown: The Musical,” opening Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 pm, with additional shows on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 pm and Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are free and can be reserved online.

Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh Photography.