The Rice Players riff on ‘Scooby-Doo’ in “The Solve It Squad”

By Charlie Cruz     4/1/25 11:09pm

The Rice Players took over Hamman Hall March 28-29 with “The Solve It Squad,” a comedy by Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter and Brian Rosenthal that reimagines the beloved ‘Scooby-Doo’ gang as dysfunctional adults reunited after tragedy.

Directed by Jonathan Gonzalez, director of education at Main Street Theater, the production combined nostalgic charm with modern humor, exploring mature themes such as drugs, relationships and Satanic cults through comedic hijinks.

Helena Kotschoubey, a Brown College  freshman who played the ensemble-encompassing role “Everyone Else #2,” said the play begins with familiar cartoon tropes before quickly taking a dark comedic turn.

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“The show starts as this cute teenage mystery-solving gang catching goofy villains, but tragedy strikes — they lose their ‘Scooby-Doo,’” Kotschoubey said. “It then flashes forward 15 years, and they’re washed-up adults who reunite to solve the mystery of their dog’s murder.”

Jordi De Jong, a Jones College sophomore, portrayed the other half of the ensemble as “Everyone Else #1.” She said playing multiple roles required sustained creative energy.

“Playing ensemble characters meant constantly shifting between silly personalities,” De Jong said. “Every time we’re on stage, we have to find new ways to make each character distinctive.”

Gonzalez said Rice’s curious students enriched the comedic experience.

“Rice students approach theater intelligently and analytically,” Gonzalez said. “They combine structured approaches with spontaneous improv, which makes for great theater.”

Set designer Rob Kimbro ’95 described his vision for the colorful set that immediately evoked nostalgia.

“Since it’s a ‘Scooby-Doo’ parody, I wanted a colorful set that evoked that cartoon world — something playful, bright and flexible for the actors,” Kimbro said.

Meara McCarthy, a Duncan College sophomore who portrayed the character of Gwen, said the rehearsal process was especially joyful.

“I’ve laughed harder in rehearsals than I have in years,” McCarthy said. “The joy behind the scenes has been incredible.”

Audience members praised the show’s energetic performances. Nadia Thieriot, a McMurtry College junior, said she enjoyed how engaging the production was.

“I had a wonderful time,” Thieriot said. “The show was hilarious, and I loved how interactive it was — especially the moments when actors engaged directly with the audience.”

John Israel, a junior at Hanszen College, said he particularly enjoyed the references to the original cartoon.

“The show was silly, goofy and highly entertaining,” Israel said. “My favorite part was the chase scene — it captured that classic ‘Scooby-Doo’ feel perfectly.”

 Producer Kyra McKauffley said the Rice Players carefully selected “The Solve It Squad” to resonate with Rice students’ experiences and sense of humor.

“We chose this play because it resonated with our generation who grew up watching ‘Scooby-Doo,’” said McKauffley, a Martel College senior. “Seeing the audience enjoy and laugh at our show validated all our hard work.”

Despite the comedic elements, Kimbro said the production also represented the Rice Players’ ongoing commitment to highlighting student-led artistic expression at a STEM-focused university.

“Rice Players has always been a diverse group of students — engineers, humanities majors, all collaborating to tell stories,” Kimbro said. “Artistic practice complements STEM by teaching empathy and storytelling.”

Thieriot said she has attended multiple Rice Players productions to support the importance of student theater.

“Student-run theater like Rice Players is crucial — it gives students a voice, agency and keeps the arts alive on campus,” Thieriot said.

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