Curtain Call Culprits: Clue Takes the Stage by Anya Panday

 Curtain Call Culprits: Clue Takes the Stage

On Feb. 27, Clue stepped onto the stage at the Orpheum. A classic whodunnit, Clue follows the six loveable, color-themed characters from the board game as they arrive at a mysterious manor after all receiving the same letter. Relying on physical comedy and dry humor, and being based on the 1985 movie, Clue is an iconic show that all die-hard thespians know and love.

Since the show itself is so iconic, and because it’s based on a well-known movie, it’s easy to spot any places where a production of Clue strays from its predecessors. In this production, the first thing I noticed were a couple of line changes -- punchlines were both added and changed. I felt these changes better suited the actors’ interpretations of their characters. But they also added punchlines to already long-running jokes which felt a bit redundant. 

Most of the characters stayed true to the movie, but one thing I noticed is that most of the characters weren't actually dressed in their signature color. Miss Scarlet was in red, of course, but all the other characters weren’t dressed in their typical colors. For most of the characters this change didn’t make a difference (though I missed the iconic color coding), but for Mrs. White, her all black costume took away from the grandeur of her entrance. One of Mrs. White’s first punchlines usually happens when she walks in wearing all-black funeral clothes and takes off her jacket to reveal a stunning white dress -- a play on wearing white to a funeral. The absence of this joke made her entrance less noticeable, but it didn’t leave a lasting damper on her character.

The casting for Clue was superb, but the standouts had to be Wadsworth and Mr. Green. Wadsworth and Mr. Green, played by Mark Price and John Shartzer respectively, were able to embody the physical comedy of Clue perfectly. Crawling around on the floor, getting crushed by chandeliers, and scurrying around on stage gave their characters a distinct humor that projected to the back rows of the theater. Additionally, these characters go through changes in identities throughout the show, and the actors both found excellent ways to embody these changes both physically and vocally in a way that translated well.

There are two main challenges to putting on a production of Clue: the set and the pacing. As far as the set goes, the company must figure out how to fit eight rooms onto the stage in a way that is both aesthetically appealing and won’t compromise any sight lines. The set design, done by Lee Savage, has a brilliant way of navigating this: rooms can rotate “out” from the wall to reveal themselves, allowing them to be neatly tucked away when they’re not being used. 

The pacing of Clue must be fast, and this company did that well. The characters were able to run around, interrupt each other, and keep the show engaging by moving at a quick pace; however, the humor of Clue is based on toeing the lines between being sarcastic, ditzy, and dead serious. The pace of the lines is so rapid that punchlines would be trampled by actors who didn’t take the time to appreciate the humor of their jokes or switch their vocal tone so the punchline was clear. While I appreciated the fast pace, I would’ve appreciated more punctuated punchlines.

Overally, Clue is a good show no matter how it’s done, but this production certainly did an outstanding job. The characters were well-defined, the physical comedy was on point, and the company had the audience at the edge of their seats the whole night.