It’s a tradition for the Senior Class to go to the Indiana Repertory Theatre every year, with this year’s trip scheduled for Oct 17.

English teacher and department co-chair Mrs. Liz Browning said the event has taken place at least as long as she has been a teacher here since the early ‘90s.

This year the Class of 2019 is seeing “Holmes and Watson.” This play is a mystery about Dr. Watson, who is summoned to an eerie island and goes to a remote asylum to investigate three inmates who claim to be Sherlock Holmes.

Browning said that every Senior Class has had the opportunity to attend one production a year. “The essence of exposure to living drama is part of being a Cathedral senior,” she said.

“We believe that seeing a live performance of a literary work enhances a student’s understanding of the work. We want all of our students to have the experience of attending a live performance. We also have students write a paper based on the performance,” English teacher and department co-chair Mrs. Kathy Keyes wrote in an email, as she noted the educational value in seeing the play.

Browning and Keyes said they believe that when the students see a play on stage, it will enrich their understanding of it. When the students see a live action performance the teachers hope it intensifies their knowledge and understanding of the book they have been studying.

Keyes said, “I hope they understand and appreciate the challenges that live theater present and appreciate different interpretations actors and directors can bring to a work of literature.”