Clue Live on Stage: High School Edition
at St. Elizabeth School

Reviewed on November 23, 2019

Audree Wells
Caesar Rodney High School
Submitted for publication to DEC Published 1

Almost everyone has played Clue at at least one family game night. The six characters with their brightly colored outfits and distinguished personalities are an integral part of the atmosphere of this game. These characters' large personalities were brought to life at St. Elizabeth High School's production of Clue Live On Stage (High School Edition) by John Morris.

In this play, the six board game characters visit Boddy Manor after receiving a mysterious letter. As they talk over dinner, they soon discover they are all being blackmailed by the same person, Ms. Boddy. Their desperation to keep their secrets hidden pushes them to extremes, but who is truly willing to go all the way and commit murder to keep their secrets hidden? As more and more people mysteriously die, the play's antics increase. This production comes with an added feature that you will not see anywhere else. The director included a prologue and epilogue to accommodate for the large number of people who wanted to be in the cast. The prologue prepares the audience for the comedy that follows and gets them laughing before the play even begins.

The board game characters' chemistry on stage was fun to watch. Their ad-libbing added to the hilariousness. You could tell they really enjoyed playing these characters which added energy and life to this play.

The performance of the six board game characters was even more incredible when you take into account that two of these characters, Miss. White and Mr. Green, were only middle schoolers. When Mr. Green revealed himself as an undercover FBI agent it was almost like he removed a mask as he changed from the bumbling fool that he played throughout the play into a cool and collected FBI agent. All of the board game characters did a good job of showing their increasing desperation to keep their secrets hidden as the time the police were to arrive drew nearer.

This show was funny without falling too far into the realms of cheesy. The floating hands that appeared from behind walls and curtains to kill the next victim were hilarious every time. Also, the actors who had to play dead bodies did a good job of remaining limp, even as the other characters moved them.

The different levels of the set helped establish the various rooms in the manor. I was impressed by the way it seemed like we were seeing two rooms at once because of these different levels and the way the lighting was brighter on the second level than the first. The lights were one of the best parts of the production. They added to the story and made the audience part of the show as they circled the audience during the rewind scene. It really felt like everything was going in reverse. The costumes also added to the production. They fit the board game characters and did a good job of depicting the colors they represent.

St. Elizabeth High School's production of Clue On Stage had an energetic cast that added to the hilariousness of this play.

Pauline Hartman
Archmere Academy
Submitted for publication to DEC Published 2

A stormy night at a sequestered New England mansion full of terror, murder, true and false accusations, and blackmail? Or an eventful dinner party brimming with hysterical but guilty consciences hidden behind the identity of dramatized pseudonyms? Have any "clue" what brings these two anecdotes together? It's St. Elizabeth High School's performance of Clue: On Stage!

Based upon the beloved board game and the campy, 1980's film adaptation, Clue: On Stage is the classic who-dunit tale. Ms. Boddy, the mysterious hostess and blackmailer, invites six different but unknowingly similar guests to a dinner party. These shamefaced visitors find themselves trapped in an enormous mansion as the hostess herself is killed. More murders soon follow and the guests become more and more anxious… as any one of them could be the culprit.

St. Elizabeth High School's small but mighty cast took on this fast-paced show with remarkable enthusiasm. Although each character was trapped in the same position and experience, their personalities and dispositions clearly varied as to show the true interior of the character's background. A super interesting part of the show was the original written prologue and epilogue. The creative team and cast together created a modern family visiting the old Boddy mansion and playing the board game itself. As the family begins to play the game, the rolling of the first die cues the joyful music into the first scene of the real show. Another interesting part of this contemporary take was the naming of the families in the scenes after the Parker Brothers and Anthony E. Pratt, original publishers and creators of the board game Clue.

The leads in Clue were true shining stars. EJ Baker as Colonel Mustard in particular brought a commanding yet soft side to this complex character. An additional memorable performance included Madelyn Thomas who took on the comedic role of Mrs. Peacock, using the hysterics and bluntness of her character to brighten the mood. Furthermore, Louis Rizzo executed the infamous butler Wadsworth with impeccable superiority and rib-tickling humor.

Another shining star among the cast was Abigale Townsend, who performed the difficult but fun-loving role of Miss Scarlet with great joy, charisma, and spirit. The cast as a whole brought a mysterious and peculiar feel to the murderous mansion. The Six Board Game Characters, as an ensemble, played off of one another especially well to show the terror within the hearts and souls of their bodies but also the attempt to solve the engrossing murder mystery. Some characters stuttered throughout their lines at some points of the show, however they recovered well and turned their minor falters into comedic moments. Though the over-dramatized acting became particularly over-the-top at times, it brought a hilarious surface to the play.

The tech and stage crew did a very good job as a whole. The lighting always tended to match the "assigned color" of the board game character of that same color, creating variety between the six contrasting personalities. Because the show required such careful sound cues and quick scene changes, stage manager Thomas Warnock did an excellent job with the task before him. The sound design by St. Elizabeth students Kaycee-Marie Rigor, Aiyanna Ethengain, and Jessica Leyton brought the background, impressions, and concepts the show needed. Although there were minor microphone issues at times, these technical difficulties were quickly fixed. There were also minor scene change issues, though they were swiftly covered up with the superb sound cues.

Clue: On Stage was performed excellently by the accomplished cast at St. Elizabeth's High School and will have you falling in love with the intricate characters alongside of roaring with laughter at the campy and over-dramatized acting, leaving you truly wondering. . . "who-dunit?".