‘The Class Reunion: Who Killed the Prom Queen’ at the NJ State Museum
Forty years after the Prom Queen never made it to her coronation, the question remains—Who killed the prom queen?
The Class Reunion: Who Killed the Prom Queen will be shown on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at NJ State Museum, 205 W. State Street.
Guests act as potential witnesses in an interactive whodunit featuring drama, comedy, and secrets. Donna Mitzi Wellons wrote the play and also performs as Big Esh. It’s the fourth production she’s written and acted in within a 15-year period. Her first play was in 2011, the second in 2014, and the third in 2018. But now that she’s retired from education, she plans to do them more frequently.
“It’s a mystery stage play,” said Wellons. “We want to provoke audience participation, figure out who killed the prom queen.”
All of Wellons’ plays focus on a subject or a social situation that needs to be addressed. “Individuals coming together for a reason and getting along,” said Wellons. “The message behind it is: how can we work together and get along?”
Inspired by her own 40th class reunion, Wellons wanted to address how her classmates on the committee couldn’t get along and how that held them back. She said, “It was too many of us who wanted to be chiefs. Everybody wanted to be the boss. Me included. I didn’t exclude myself from the problem. We have traits in us that may hinder the goals we’re trying to reach. That’s basically where the information came from. We let our insecurities or our negative character traits get in the way of working as a collective. Most of my plays are comedies. They’re definitely fun and funny and light. They are all geared toward making people have a good time. However, it does become thought-provoking at some point. Hopefully people will see themselves in the characters.”
Wellons started writing plays so she could act in them. “I enjoy performing,” she said. “I enjoy public speaking. I feel like it’s part of my purpose altogether. Me, being in front of a group of people.”
Her role in the play, Big Esh, has been in every play Wellons has written. “I would consider her my alter-ego,” said Wellons. “She says the things I want to say and things I want to do but wouldn’t.”
In her last three plays, Wellons has used the same actors. In this one, it’s a completely new cast. It was a great experience for Wellons. She got to see the cast members’ gift unfold and knew she had something to do with it. She said, “That part excites me and makes me proud of myself, and I do have something to offer and contribute to the world.”
Shawn Renee Arthur, who works at Capital City High School, plays Dwanda. “She is fabulous,” Arthur said excitedly.
Arthur said she’s never acted before. “As a teacher, it was an honor to be in the play,” she said.
Fareeda Stokes, CEO and founder of Harkes Realty & Associates, plays Dar the Bar, a bartender who knows everyone’s business.
“The role resonates with me,” she said. “We all know someone who knows everything that is going on before it happens.”
Before this role, Stokes acted once in college 30 years ago.
She said, “The cast was great to work with. It’s been rewarding to work with people I haven’t known before. It became a little family.”
Other actors in The Class Reunion: Who Killed the Prom Queen are Cheryl Brown as Host Diamond, Miquia Devalle-Davis as The Detective, Councilwoman Crystal Feliciano as The Narrator, Corey McCoy as Professor Pastor Dwight Ellis, and Teri Molder as Denise.
For tickets to The Class Reunion: Who Killed the Prom Queen, visit: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/donnawellonsentertainment/2377018
