The Dramatics Society, the oldest student-run organization at Boston College, put on its first performance of the year, Urinetown, this weekend.

Not only was the play entirely student-run, but it was also the first time Joe Gilhooly, LSEHD ’27, had directed a play at BC. While an entirely student-run show and a new director would seemingly lead to a half-baked or unprofessional play, these components made the play much more witty and relatable.

While Gilhooly had known his role as director since late spring last year, all of the casting had been done in early September. This meant all the rehearsing, memorizing, and staging had to be done in just a few weeks. Because of this, the actors would rehearse five days a week for between four and six hours per day, and it certainly paid off.

The story follows a dystopian society where—as strange as it may sound—the primary concern of the public is based around having to pay to pee. The premise sounds outlandish, which it is—even the narrator pokes some fun at the plot of the play.

The narrator is played by Officer Lockstock (Liam Fahey, CSOM ’28), who brings an interesting dynamic. The cop is both an antagonist in the story and the omniscient narrator. Lockstock easily engages the audience by frequently breaking the fourth wall and joking about his own show as well as other musicals and Hollywood movies.

The main antagonist of the show is the businessman Cladwell B. Cladwell (Colin Rubsamen, MCAS ’29), who is hell bent on keeping power by taxing the people to use the only public bathroom in town. Think of him like the bad guy in The Lorax, except about twice as tall and without the ridiculous haircut. The businessman uses various people, such as a politician, a plumber, and police officers, to enact evil.

On the other side is the general public, led by the young and aspiring Bobby Strong (Finn McGurn, MCAS ’26). And while the audience was supposed to root for the protagonists here, the performances displayed by the antagonists—especially Cladwell and Lockstock—made it hard not to have a soft spot for both sides.

There is quite a bit of comedy, and while it sometimes takes the audience out of the plot, it is certainly intended to and acts more as a satire on how unironically dramatic some plays truly are. Some awkward romance was also present, giving it a sitcom-esque feel.

Given the complex premise, one might assume Urinetown focuses largely on its deeper messages on capitalism, environmental protection, and corruption. But the message is diluted by the humorous back-and-forth between characters.

If you want to go back to your dorm and contemplate the political and economic state of the world, Urinetown is not for you. Rather, it’s a musical for those who want to be entertained, laugh a lot, and watch a tight-knit team of BC students display their hard work.