Whodunit Turns Misty Over Water

“The Murky Water Caper, a Real Fish Story,” may sound like an Off- Off-Broadway production. Actually, it is in our midst, with original music and songs. And it could be a hit, judging from the reaction of students at Jefferson Elementary School in Hawthorne to a performance by the Masquers Players troupe from Leuzinger High School. The show, written in a detective mystery style by Deborah Rodney, of Portland, Ore., is an Environmental Education Theater Project of the nonprofit America’s Clean Water Foundation. The project offers high schools and youth groups scripts, a videotape of the 30-minute play’s premier performance, sheet music, a rehearsal recording and choreographer’s notes, as well as a possible visit by Rodney to offer helpful hints. The point is to take the show to elementary school students and drive home an awareness of the country’s water resources and the need for conservation and environmental protection.