Young sleuths solve a mystery and learn some important life lessons along the way in “The Skokie Detective Charter School.”

The play is the culmination of the Emerson Theater Collaborative six-week Summer Youth Theater program. It will be performed July 24 and 25 at First United Methodist Church in Mystic.

“This is a well-rounded theatrical summer program, now in its fourth year, for kids who want to experience what the world of theater has to offer and to have fun,” says Camilla Ross, the play’s producer and ETC’s president and cofounder. “They learn about and participate in all areas of theater. Our kids learn how to deal with life through theater, to solve problems, to communicate, to advocate for themselves. They learn how to be themselves and flourish.”

Ross stresses that this particular production is not only a great experience for the kids on stage, but it’s also important for kids to be in the audience.

“They will experience a wonderful, fun mystery and have great quality time with their families,” Ross says. “Kids who come will learn about solving problems, coping with various life challenges, and much more.”

Suspenseful and funny

The fast-paced comedy, written by playwright Philip Dawkins, takes place in a school for young detectives-in-training where they learn to gather the facts and find a logical solution. When students start acting strangely, monsters are spotted in the hallway and their teacher goes missing, the junior detectives are faced with their biggest case yet. They solve the mystery by way of four classic story-telling perspectives: film noir, young adult mystery, Edwardian romance and Spaghetti Western.

Stephanie Donnelly of Norwich directs the production. A 2012 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a BA in Theatre and a BS in Communications, Donnelly will attend Boston’s Emerson College in the fall to receive her MA in Theater Education. She is a member of the ETC board and has worn many hats in various productions, but this is her ETC directorial debut.

Donnelly says what she likes about this play is, “It teaches you to use what you’ve learned in a classroom setting and anywhere — the idea that you can be taught something and use it in different situations. It’s also very lively, very witty, very funny. Some jokes the kids don’t get, but they’re in there for the parents, and I like that about it.”

She also thinks kids relate well to the story because it takes place in 2015.

“It’s hard for kids to see something that takes place a long time ago. Something more contemporary is more relevant to them.”

And it has a good message.

“The sense of working together to find answers to your problems and (discovering) that there usually is an answer…. and that even adults don’t know everything.”

Donnelly is impressed by the addition of music by the show’s musical director, Kate Farnham, which wasn’t in the original script.

Farnham is a classically trained pianist and vocalist, who’s played multiple roles in many musical productions over the past decade. This is her third year directing an ETC performance.

“After reading the script, Kala added music to get us into and out of the show, without changing anything in the script,” Donnelly explains. "The kids wrote bios of their characters, so they made up the back-stories with assistance from us and she was then able to write lyrics that pertained to the show. The kids sing the songs and she (accompanies them) on piano.”

One of the challenges of directing children versus adults, Donnelly says, is keeping them centered and focused on the production and character development, which she accomplishes with extra acting exercises.

“Alternately I find that they also learn and catch on very quickly and are very creative. I have the children give their input on the show, so it’s not all me — some of it they came up with themselves.

“Especially when directing children and for a children’s audience, you definitely have to keep in mind at all times what’s the purpose?” she asks. "And what lessons do you want the cast members and the audience to learn?”

There are many rewards for Donnelly in working with kids in the ETC Summer Youth Program.

“We have a large group of kids from New London who don’t have any other exposure to the theater except this theater camp,” she points out. You can see that they’re really happy and excited. Some of them have been in the program for three years and you can see them grow. Even ones in for their first year you can see grow and it’s pretty impressive. This is encouraging their creativity. It helps with their confidence in a supportive setting and watching other people doing it, they want to do it, too.”

Donnelly has seen kids so shy when they started the program, they whispered their lines and now they’re full of confidence, projecting their voices.

“It’s our support and example that helps them come out of their shells,” she says.

Donnelly also notes that the children’s families are very supportive and the parents all come to the performances.

“They’re so proud of their kids. It’s really nice to see,” she says.

What: ETC production of “The Skokie Detective Charter School.”

When: July 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and July 26 at 2 p.m.

Where: First United Methodist Church, 23 Willow Street, Mystic

Cost: Tickets are $25 general admission and $20 seniors and students. Tickets are available online at www.emersontheatercollaborative.org or by calling (860) 705-9711.