Clue: On Stage
at Capistrano Valley

Reviewed on November 21, 2019

Bella Kelso
Beckman
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies

"Capistrano Valley kills it in ‘Clue: On Stage'"
written by Bella Kelso, a senior at Beckman High School

Based off of the cult-classic movie and boardgame, "Clue: On Stage" revolves around a dinner party hosted by the mysterious Mr. Boddy, who has created an elaborate game to blackmail the guests with evidence of their scandalous affairs. With six murders and six suspects, everyone is at risk of being exposed to the eminent arrival of the police.

Perfectly cordial is Wadsworth (Lucas Morgan), the butler and later-revealed Mr. Boddy. Morgan displays a perfect, Tim Curry flair to his role. He transforms fluidly from communicating to the actors with over-dramatic shock to cackling maniacally with an all-knowing grin to the audience, breaking the fourth wall with commentary on the actions.

Mrs. Peacock (Natalie Hill) is passionate and energetic, often acting as a leader with her loud and demanding voice. She flails herself around onstage in moments of panic and composes herself with sophistication in moments of calmness. Dynamic and eye-catching, Hill is hilarious as the overly-dramatic Senator's wife.

Quinn Rizco steals the show as Mr. Green. Hiding behind a frantic, high-pitched voice and violent sneezes, Rizco establishes Green as a fearful government employee and closeted gay man. It isn't until the end, when he reveals his true identity as an undercover FBI agent, that he displays a confident posture, spouting demands with a deep voice.

Standing out any moment she was onstage, Kayla Bryant perfectly embodies the Cook. Hunched almost fully over and dragging herself across stage, Bryant's cook is scarily funny, grunting through dialogue as she interacts with others. Even funnier, her once-stiff posture transforms to a lifeless, floppy body as she drops dead over the screeching Mr. Green.

As a whole, the dinner party creates a stunningly cohesive ensemble, moving together through the revolving set, and maintaining focus as the mystery moves throughout the house. In scenes like the dinner party, they create an orchestra of slurps, "mmms!," and spoon-clinking, maintaining a steady rhythm that builds awkwardness and suspense.

Costumes, headed by Ellie Mezak, assigned a symbolic color to each actor to help distinguish them as well as highlight aspects of their personality traits. With Mrs. Peacock donned in a stunning iridescent blue/green gown, to Miss Scarlet in a sultry, skin-tight red dress, the ensemble created a jewel-toned rainbow of outfits, all pertaining to the classy 50's setting.

Capistrano Valley successfully creates a perfect murder scene with larger-than-life characters, and shockingly stunning tech leaving audiences wondering – whodunit?

Kat Cheng
Crean Lutheran
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Suspects and Scandals in Capistrano Valley's "Clue: On Stage"
written by Kat Cheng, a sophomore at Crean Lutheran High School

The timeless board game of Clue comes alive in Capistrano Valley's hilarious production of "Clue: On Stage."

On a stormy New England evening, six party guests arrive at a deserted mansion only to discover they are all being exploited by the same blackmailer, their host. After he is found dead, a night full of murders and mystery ensues as the guests work together to uncover the killer and keep their own crimes from being exposed.

Lucas Morgan stands out as the animated butler Wadsworth. Morgan uses a leisurely pace, well-mannered accent, and smug composure as he addresses the audience, checking his pocket watch and hinting at an external comprehension of the culprits. When the butler is thrown into the chaos of concealing corpses from an officer, Morgan's calm countenance transforms into quick steps and exaggerated movements.

Quinn Rizco's fiddling hands, hunched shoulders, and nasally voice excellently illustrate party guest Mr. Green's nervous and faint-hearted energy. Effectively balancing timing and humor, Rizco's rapid sneezes during dinner and shrill wails when he is smothered by a corpse keep laughs coming.

Alexa Parvaneh swings her hips and struts with confidence to become the sultry and sarcastic Miss Scarlet. With a hand on one hip and a cigarette in the other, Parvaneh's poise and sassy line deliverance produce a marvelously mature stage presence. Contrasting with the young and passionate Miss Scarlet is the older faith fanatic Mrs. Peacock (Natalie Hill). Hill's articulate movements, aristocratic accent, and exaggerated expressions effectively highlight Mrs. Peacock's dynamic energy despite her age.

Kayla Bryant shines as The Cook, shuffling hunchbacked across the stage with a crazed look in her eyes. Speaking with a twisted jaw and drawn out syllables, Bryant paints an unnerving, yet comical character.

Set design, headed by Nathan Lahaderne, includes an incredible circular piece with three adjoining rooms. Five wooden doors on the circle's front face allows for easy access to the adjacent spaces as well as multiple entrances and exits. Lighting design, headed by Katrina Silva, complements four beautiful stained glass windows by filtering them with soft blue light, creating a mysterious, moonlit scene.

Hair and makeup, headed by Julia Hess, successfully uses a 40's hairstyle run through with grey streaks and heavy contour to convey Mrs. Peacock's older age.

Capistrano Valley's energetic cast and beautiful technical elements keep audiences guessing "whodunnit" until the very end.

Nicholas Jacome
St. Margarets
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

There's been a murder at Capo's "Clue: On Stage"!
written by Nicholas Jacome, a junior at St. Margaret's Episcopal School

Lightning flashes and thunder roars as Wadsworth the butler waits patiently at the door. A ring echoes around the theater, and a door opens to reveal, one after the other, six complete strangers, clueless of the events to come. With comedy and suspense, Capistrano Valley's "Clue" follows these guests as they try to solve the murder of their dinner host, only to uncover secrets about their fellow guests along the way.

Lucas Morgan leads the cast as Wadsworth the butler, illustrating his character with dignified gestures and a conceited British accent. His ability to break the fourth wall and then reinsert himself back into the scene is astounding. Morgan also supplies a maniacal laugh to allude to his character's more nefarious motives.

Playing the nervous Mr. Green is Quinn Rizco, utilizing his body and face to display his character's uneasiness, such as when he first witnesses Mr. Boddy's dead body, squirming and screaming to show his terror.

Natalie Hill, who plays Mrs. Peacock, commands the stage with her hysterical mannerisms, like when she believes she has been poison, wailing and running across the stage. Hill's posture also showed her character's age, adding to the reality of her performance.

Miss Scarlet, played by Alexa Parvaneh, also brings a delightful charm to the show. Her suave movements and nonchalant deliveries of countless innuendos created a unique character, separating her from Mrs. White.

Kayla Bryant's performance of The Cook brings a comedic yet unsettling aspect of the play to life. Slouching her body and contorting her face, Bryant embodies her character to generate a believable and seemingly scary performance.

The prop team creates some gruesome and realistic props which add to the show's eeriness as well as help to deliver key plot points with precision and ease. The cop's severed head and the maid's legs in particular further solidify the creepy atmosphere of the play.

This play would not be complete without acknowledging the amazing publicity team, who advertise the show in fun and captivating ways. For one, the team created an escape room to promote the show, which included direct interactions with cast members in character. Also, intricate and realistic portraits were created of each of the six main characters and hung around the school to publicize the play and the different characters.

Capo's take on this classic whodunit is thrilling and enjoyable!