“Clue” Will Keep You Guessing Until the End

The fun murder mystery

Was it Mr. Green in the library with the wrench, or was it Ms. Scarlet in the conservatory with the pipe? The drama club’s fall production of “Clue” will leave the audience guessing until the end. This hilarious “whodunit” mystery, directed by Mr. Shannon and assistant director Caroline Bradbury (Class of 2016), brings the beloved board game to life, providing an unusual experience.

Here is the premise: six guests are invited to a party. Colonel Mustard (Travis Torchetti, Class of 2016), Mrs. White (Eileen Feeney, Class of 2017), Mrs. Peacock (Leah Alessi, Class of 2017), Mr. Green (Andrew Kulikowski, Class of 2018), Ms. Scarlet (Nicole Bradbury, Class of 2016) and Professor Plum (Ethan Tocci, Class of 2016). Wadsworth the butler (Riley Morrison, Class of 2016) and Yvette the maid (Madisen Caferro, Class of 2019) welcome the guests. No one is sure why they are there, until they find out they have all been blackmailed by Mr. Body (Gustavo Dalla Bona, Class of 2018). After he is found murdered, and no one knows who did it, but they all have a motive to kill him. The fun part is trying to figure out who. In addition to the guests, the butler and Mr. Body, the cook – Mrs. Ho (Bethany Salah, Class of 2018), a policeman, a motorist and police chief (all played by Nick Freberg, Class of 2016) figure strongly in the mix of action comedy and intrigue.

While “Clue”doesn’t have any music, it does have plenty of drama and comedy.  “There’s a lot more one-on-one time to discuss characterization,” said Alessi. Each character has a distinctly different personality that is revealed the moment they enter the party. Alessi describes Mrs. Peacock has having “gone off her rocker early in life,” making her both humorous, and an object of suspicion. Morrison describes Wadsworth as having a forced politeness as he tries to deal with the guests’ eccentric personalities.  When Ms. Scarlet (Nicole Bradbury) isn’t speaking, she remains in character; she says her actions speak as loud as her words in a manipulative manner. As Colonel Mustard, Torchetti ’s reactions will be just as important and comical as his actions.

“Clue” promises to be both mysterious and hilarious. According to Alessi, audiences can look forward to an “interactive” experience because they are “so close to the actors.” The stage will be in the center of the room, and actors will move about in the specially designed seating arrangement. So who is the murderer? You can come unravel the mystery Nov. 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. in the Paul K. Smith Music Room. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.