The two months of work theater students put into their spring productions paid off. From casting, to costumes, to set design, Clue was well worth the wait. 

The stage production of Clue is based on the 1985 movie inspired by the classic board game. Being based on the game, this play follows a similar plot to the movie and featured all the characters and most of the rooms you could find from the board game.            

A lot more preparation is put into these theater productions than meets the eye. Clue, being a two hour comedy-mystery, was no exception. Costumes alone took around a month before they were complete. Not to mention the set that was being built from January to March, and casting that took around a week. 

The team of four costume designers-Onyx McElroy, Luca Swearingin, Mango Renfrow-Myers, and Violet McGuire-were successful in making looks that embody the character while being visually pleasing. The main characters used fake names such as Miss Scarlet or Mr. Green. Each outfit suited the character’s signature color scheme flawlessly.

For example Mrs. Peacock, played by Julia Vetter, wore a blue dress with a navy blue shawl draped over her shoulders. Throughout most of the story she had on midnight blue gloves that matched the peacock feather on her dress, along with a long green-blue necklace around her neck. 

Furthermore, some costumes had features that added even more peculiarity to the strange and interesting characters. Colonel Mustard, played by senior Keegan Martin, had gray streaks in his hair, making him appear much older. He wore a fake mustache and false teeth that gave him a funny and unusual voice.

Mrs. White, played by sophomore Emily Blacker, had white hair and gloves to match their name. However, it almost looked like they were dressed for a funeral with their black dress, leggings, and shoes. They also wore a black veil in their hair. All these details in their appearance subtly reflected the character, who had five husbands, a few of which they were rumored to have murdered. 

The set was designed with extreme intricacy–it included eight working doors, furniture, stairs and more details that helped to make Boddy Manor, where the story is set, come to life. Creatively, smaller sets on wheels were built to make rooms such as The Library, which they were able to move on and off the stage when necessary. The audience was shocked when what seemed to be a perfectly normal chandelier fell down, practically falling on one of the characters. Fortunately this was all part of the show, as the chandelier was built to both fall and rise. The skills from the tech crew really shined here. 

The minute the performance began, a musical soundtrack played that created an eerie and mysterious atmosphere that the audience could immediately pick up on. The visual flashes of lightning along with sound effects of screams and gunshots helped maintain that same feel throughout the show. 

Of course the production couldn’t have been complete without the actors. Many people know and love Clue, and each cast member did an amazing job personifying the iconic characters.

Being a murder mystery, the characters, along with the audience, are trying to figure out who the killer might be. However, each character themselves is suspicious, all hiding secrets that the actors did a great job of reflecting. This leaves the audience on the edge of their seats, accusing character after character and wondering who could possibly be behind everything that is happening. 

Sophomore Justin McGarity did an especially good job in his role as Mr. Green, who was one of the most complex characters in the story. McGarity would jump at every noise, stutter in every sentence and anxiously look around the stage as if expecting something to leap out at him. This effectively portrayed a timid and nervous character and left the audience unsuspecting that Mr. Green would end up being the hero of the story. He later reveals that he is actually an undercover FBI agent. The whole night was only a set up to catch the others for their crimes, a plot twist no one could’ve expected.

With the show being just as much a comedy as it is a mystery, the actors do a fantastic job in making the show entertaining and funny. Throughout the story, witty and creative jokes are packed in, delivered at the most optimal times. Unexpected gags had everyone bursting out with laughter. 

Putting on a two-hour play that can effectively keep the audience engaged and entertained is difficult. Thanks to the hard work from the theater program, they have done exactly that. Clue went above and beyond expectations and was certainly worth seeing. 

Fans should get excited to see what the theater program has in store for their student-directed one-acts, May 11-12.