What happens when six eccentric guests attend a lavish dinner party, only to find themselves entangled in a string of murders? Premiering on Thursday, Jan. 18, “Clue” is Purebred Production’s latest show, following their production of “Mean Girls” in October. Adapted from the board game of the same name, this play is a rollercoaster of mystery, drama and wit that will leave the audience on the edge of their seats.
With the board game dating back to the 1940s, an adaptation into a 1985 movie and the play version coming in 1995, the story has lived on for generations, making the production appeal to all audiences.
“I want them to feel a sense of home and warmth based on families sitting around the table playing the game, seeing it all come to life,” theater director Jamaal Solomon said.
The show is double-cast: the Key cast, which opens on Thursday and performs the 1:30 show on Saturday, and the Lock cast, which performs on Friday and closes the show Saturday night. This rotation not only prevents the actors from being spread too thin, but also gives the play a different feel from one cast to another.
“We each see Colonel as a different person. We have a different perspective and it’s great because. It’s not the same thing twice,” sophomore Braden Grubb, who plays Colonel Mustard in the Key cast, said.
Each cast member puts in research and practice to make their own version of the character come to life. Elements like speech patterns, gestures and blocking (how and where a character moves) all vary.
“You need to think about timing and beats. It’s also very important to connect to the character through that research and the time you put into it,” sophomore Izzabella Donlin, Mrs. White of the Lock cast, said.
In addition to the cast, the set crew took on building the largest set the school has ever seen. Standing 16 feet tall, the set is two stories and equipped with hidden passageways and trap doors.
“I’m so proud of the set—we put so much time and work into it, and it was difficult, but I think it turned out great,” sophomore Olivia Ahlqvist said.
You need to think about timing and beats. It’s also very important to connect to the character through that research and the time you put into it.
— Izzabella Donlin, 10
“It was a lot of pressure because I [had to] hit [the light] perfectly on the person, and I had to know when to hit it,” sophomore Veda Stork said. “Most people don’t understand how much work it does take to make the show happen with licensed sound.”
Since production began, cast and crew members have been anticipating the show’s premier, hoping this dark comedy will leave audiences in stitches trying to figure out WHO did what, WHERE, and with WHAT. Tickets cost $11 and can be pre-ordered on TeachTix.Com.
