This past November, many students saw the high school play CLUE. Set at Boddy Manor, the play was inspired by the classic board game and popular movie. It features the six iconic board game characters—Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Mrs. White—each with their own intriguing motives and background. The six characters are led in a strange game of “whodunnit” by the mysterious Mr. Boddy and his butler, Wadsworth, and other members of the household.
Emiko Greene, one of the Assistant Directors of the show, recounts some of the work that went into bringing CLUE to life: “I think what makes CLUE a particularly compelling show is how it almost tricks the viewer into believing it to be a real drama, but by the end, it completely evolves into a comedy.”
Though ultimately a success, the show was one of the hardest to pull off in recent years. This was in part due to the complexity of the tech, which included many sound cues in need of precise timing, a myriad of props to keep track of, and difficult scene shifts. In addition, the physical comedy and complicated blocking made the show challenging to learn.
“I think that the most difficult part of the show was definitely trying to convey the idea that these characters were in a mansion with only five doors. However, I also think this is a part of what made it engaging to watch,” explained Emiko. She believes that the hard work paid off when the show nearly sold out for both performances.
Beyond the acting, the show also featured a set made up of five doors instead of a typical, more static set. These doors were moved around throughout the show, often during the scenes themselves, to create the sense of a more dynamic and intriguing setting. The unique setup was challenging to learn, and made keeping an open mind important through the constant evolution of the shifts. “CLUE definitely taught me the value of being open to new ideas, because since it was such a complex show, having many different perspectives was definitely important,” said Emiko.
Despite the challenges the show presented, some parts proved to be a bit simpler. “I think that the easiest part of the show was making the characters all feel like a group because of the fact that many of the actors were close before even starting the show,” Emiko concluded. Since some of the cast members knew each other before starting the show, she felt that they also worked well together onstage.
After a successful first show of the school year, the high school theatre department looks forward to the next production, the student-run High School One Acts.
*Note: this writer was a participant in CLUE