Clue
at AN Myer Secondary School

Reviewed on March 2, 2023

Riley Campbell
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

A.N. Myer's Clue: On Stage Makes Murder Exciting

Was it Professor Plum in the study with the lead pipe? Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the rope? Or the cast and crew of A.N. Myer with their portrayal of Clue: On Stage? Following this performance of mystery, deception, and comedy, audience members will have a hard time deciding who 'killed it' more.

The widely known board game characters came alive in Clue: On Stage, first written by Sandy Rustin, who drew inspiration from the game and the Paramount Pictures film written by Jonathan Lynn.

A.N. Myer made the unique decision to cast each role twice, forming two different casts. Team Chartreuse opened the show and Team Indigo kept the audience laughing through to the end. Reflecting the pop-art popularity of Clue's history, each character was detailed beautifully in pop-art styled makeup executed by the students of the Hair and Makeup Team.

Boddy Manor was well-thought-out and executed creatively by the Set Design Crew, with turning pieces, secret openings, and references to the game itself. On a tiny stage, Boddy Manor felt as splendid and grand as it would have on a stage quadruple its size.

Avery Smith was a triple threat as Wadsworth: acting, tap-dancing, and blackmailing her way through a performance one would expect of a Broadway actor. Her line delivery was strong, memorization impressive, and physicality unique to the butler she portrayed.

Keeping the audience laughing were Natasha Gray as Peacock and Preston Costantini as Mustard. Their characters were heightened by the actors' comedic timing, joke delivery, and stellar understanding of the goofballs they played.

Cast-wide, dedication to character was a strength; background was just as captivating as foreground as a result of these actors' commitment to their roles. In the role of White, Breanna Liszak-Bersan made a memorable impression with her shifty-eyed physicality and insistence that she 'did not kill her husbands!' Corpses played dead with the same commitment as any living character, acting convincingly even when being moved around in the craziness of events.

The Lighting and Sound Crew were near professionals at meeting their sound cues, and their technical skills were assets to the suspenseful plot line and mood of many mysterious manor murders. In moments of suspense and murder, dark lighting choices matched the eeriness of the storyline, a tactic could have been used more prevalently throughout the show.

With jokes that all age groups could enjoy, Clue: On Stage kept the audience chuckling long past the final body hitting the floor by humouring the audience with the twists and turns that could only occur in Boddy Manor.

Fruzsina Dobos
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

"Where is the Boddy!?"

A.N. Myer's action-packed production of "Clue" by Sandy Rustin is sure to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Full of surprises, the brilliant adaptation of this classic play certainly demands more than one watch.

Join the diverse and iconic group of uneasy dinner guests, Peacock, White, Scarlet, Green, Mustard, and Plum as they hilariously race to discover the truth behind the murder in Boddy Manor. Since the original board game Clue was invented to kill time during WWII Air-Raid Blackouts, the inspired play most definitely lived up to that history, as the quirky characters kept audience members guessing until the final twist. In addition, to correspond with the era in which the play takes place, creators embedded the theme of pop art in the set, costume, makeup, and props.

Despite the small size of the theatre, with the help of seamless transitions and utmost dedication to their characters, the cast members were able to make the audience feel as if they were trapped in Boddy Manor searching for a murderer with them. With quick sleights of hand, they were too distracted to notice the potential murderers.

From the Indigo cast playing the butler, Avery Smith served a killer monologue on a silver platter, with an abundance of expression, seemingly endless endurance, and voice control. However, each unique character was played with so much dedication, even in the background when they would silently continue with their personality-filled conversations through body language. When it came to the awkwardness of Chartreuse's Green played by Troy Fleming and the stone-cold stare of Ms. White played by Breanna Liszak-Bersan, the characters could be distinguished from each other even without the help of their defining costumes. In addition, the actors of the countless dead bodies who needed to be either dragged, thrown, carried, or even just laying perfectly still for long periods of time took utmost dedication. Overall, the cast of diverse personalities didn't fail to make audience members laugh with their fast-paced comedy.

When it came to tech, the use of the spotlight was both effective and comedic, like in the many iconic death scenes and dance breaks. With few exceptions, the sound effects were spot on time, which added to the immersion of the whole story. With this, the rolling set pieces played a key part in the seamless transitions and were mostly moved effortlessly by cast members, in character. Another important mention is the Clue board game used as a prop map by Quinn DiCienzo's Mustard, which gave the audience members an honest chuckle.

Overall, this play is a must-watch for anyone interested in an immersive show full of laughs and surprises. It challenges audience members to solve the murder along with the clue-less guests.

Abigail Saj
Governor Simcoe Secondary School
Submitted for publication to St. Catharines Standard

6 invitations in the mail lead to something sinister.

We start in the ominous and foreboding Boddy manor, where our suspects slowly start to trickle in, envelopes in hand and fear in their hearts. A.N Myer's Clue is an intriguing, suspenseful, and charming mystery story that will have you glued to the edge of your seat.

At A.N. Myer, they believe everyone should be included in theatre, which is why there were two main casts in their production of Clue-- the Chartreuse cast and the Indigo cast. The show started with Chartreuse and switched to the Indigo cast halfway, which was a seamless transition. Although they played the same roles, everyone brought a level of individuality to their character, each with their own special mannerisms and traits. Each version of the characters was recognizable and likable, notably Preston Constantini and Quinn DiCienzo, who both played Colonel Mustard and were incredibly comedic and enthusiastic about their time on stage.

Even when they weren't the main focus of the scene, the cast worked to stay in character and keep the audience immersed and entertained. Breanna Liszak-Bersan, who played Mrs. White as part of the Chartreuse cast, made the audience laugh with her exaggerated body language and facial expressions.

The sets and props were eye-catching and provided great contrast from the colourful costumes on stage. The props, coloured in black and white, stood out amidst the vibrant background, allowing the audience's attention to fall mostly on them. This was so important because of the importance of these weapons to the plot of the story.

The dramatic lighting provided a type of suspense that left the audience on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting what was to come. Paired with the sound effects, they created scenes that were humorous, mysterious, and even fear-inducing. Due to the lights and sound being the main focus of certain scenes, the crew was able to change the sets efficiently and quietly without any awareness from the audience. This made for smooth transitions between scenes that were constantly action-packed. After all, there's never a dull moment in Boddy Manor.

Overall, A.N Myer's production of Clue is something that is entertaining to all, especially fans of other pieces of Clue media, although you don't need to have a prior understanding of the plot to understand what's happening. The student director, Hannah Cox, made creative choices that shone throughout the performance. The humour is something that can be enjoyed by everyone of all ages, due to its range from sophisticated to silly. It's no mystery that everyone will be laughing by the end of this show!