The sounds of a stormy night trembled through the audience. The lights set, the fireplace twinkled, and the melodic chime of a doorbell signified the start to a hectic night. Full of twists and turns, “Clue”, based on the screenplay for the 1985 film, was sure to shock and astonish.
To begin the classic murder mystery, “Clue” introduced several bizarre characters, like the familiar Ms. Peacock, Professor Plum, and Mr. Green, each with their own eccentric personalities and mysterious backstories. Throughout the night, as body after body was found, the characterization of each character became more and more conspicuous.
“I play Yvette,” junior Kate Fancher said. “My inspiration was a 1950s pin up girl because it’s set in the 50s, and she’s in a little maid costume. I really wanted to play up her innocence and reactions to things; I wanted to make her so innocent that you’re a little suspicious of her the whole time.”
Though packed with humor that never failed to elicit laughter from the audience, “Clue” also touched on the darker undertones of the 50s.
“The post war periods are really cool because it’s about celebration and everything, but there are darker themes. McCarthyism and the Red Scare is a big part of ‘Clue’, like when everybody was worried that everyone was a Communist,” Fancher said. “There’s a scene in the dining room where everyone’s trying to figure out why they’ve been invited to the manor and they’re worried that they’re gonna be framed for being Communists. And that’s just a theme over the whole thing, where everyone is not only suspicious of everyone because they’re in the setting but also because this is going on at the same time.”
The context of the play also influenced production and the design of the set.
“Because it’s a period piece, it influences the references they’re allowed to do and the mannerisms they’re allowed to have,” Miss Katie Cross, assistant director of “Clue”, said. “Just the other day we were like ‘we need a Post It note on one of these props,’ and then we were like ‘wait, Post It notes weren’t invented until the 80s’, so we couldn’t use a Post It note”.
The detailed set, along with craftful hints from the characters, gave “Clue” a true “whodunit” vibe.
“There’s a little easter egg: at one point there’s a wall that flips and it shows you exactly who did what murders with their murder weapons. It’s a ‘Clue’ game board that has the little pieces and cards and it says the entire ending,” revealed Cross.
“Clue” ran for a total of four times at the Carroll Senior High auditorium.
“My favorite memory from ‘Clue’ was hearing the buzz after opening night,” junior AJ Sunkara, who oversaw the building of the set, said. “There is nothing better than hearing people rave about a show you’ve dedicated all your time and energy to.”
