‘Clue’ – Written by Sandy Rustin; Directed by Weylin Symes; Scenic Designer, Katy Monthei; Costume Designer, Deirdre Gerrard; Lighting Designer, Jeff Adelberg; Sound Designer, Caroline Eng; Properties Designer, Emily Allinson; Assistant Director, Tyler Rosati; Movement Consultant, Ceit Zweil; Production Stage Manager, Shauwna Dias Grillo; Assistant Stage Managers, Emily Fitzgerald, Cassie Lebeau; Production Assistant, Alexandra White; Production Manager/Master Electrician, Casey Leone Blackbird; Fight Choreographer, Alexander Platt; Scenery Built by The Ogunquit Playhouse Scene Shop. Adapted from the Paramount Pictures film written by Jonathan Lynn and the board game from Hasbro, Inc. Additional materials by Hunter Foster and Eric Price
CAST (in alphabetical order): Fernando Barbosa, Sara Coombs, Jennifer Ellis, Lisa Kate Joyce, Maureen Keiller, Genevieve Lefevre, Mark Linehan, Paul Melendy, Bryan Miner, Bill Mootos, Katie Pickett, Stewart Evan Smith, Ceit Zweil. Performances through June 25 at Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA 02180; Box Office: 781-279-2200 or greaterbostonstage.org
by Nancy Grossman
One of the hallmarks of growing up in the 1950s and 60s was the simplicity of it. On nice days, children played a variety of outdoor games with their friends – hopscotch, tag, hide ’n’ seek, and disorganized football or baseball, if there were enough kids to make teams. On rainy days or through the colder months, most families could gather around a selection of board games. Monopoly was probably the best-known and most popular, but Clue was one of my favorites for the mystery of it all. It was pretty exciting for a kid to have the chance to play detective and scope out who was the murderer, what was the murder weapon, and where did it happen? I probably didn’t know the term deductive reasoning, but I learned how to do it while playing a great game.
Fast forward about sixty years and CLUE (adapted from the board game and the 1985 Paramount Pictures film) is now onstage at the Greater Boston Stage Company. The black comedy/mystery features a fabulous ensemble cast playing a group of strangers invited to a dinner party where they are to confront their blackmailer, only to find themselves suspect when he is murdered. Mirth and mayhem (and not a whole lot else) ensue, but this trivial pursuit is an amusing ride.
Your gracious host is Wadsworth, the butler, captivatingly played by GBSC favorite Paul Melendy (Elliot Norton Award winner for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). He sets the pace and tone as the other characters arrive on the scene and jump into the fray. Thanks to Ceit Zweil’s inventive movement design and Melendy’s physical comedy chops, seven actors snake and trot from room to room in a series of humorous parades, enhanced by atmospheric lighting changes (Jeff Adelberg) and zippy music (Caroline Eng, sound).
The familiar suspects include pompous Professor Plum (Mark Linehan), femme (is-she-or-isn’t-she) fatale Miss Scarlet (Jennifer Ellis), tipsy Mrs. Peacock (Maureen Keiller, over the top in a good way), stuffy Colonel Mustard (Bill Mootos), timid Mr. Green (Stewart Evan Smith), and serial widow Mrs. White (Sara Coombs, u/s). They are supported by the maid Yvette (Genevieve Lefevre) and cook (Katie Pickett, u/s) until they join the growing pile of bodies atop Mr. Boddy (Bryan Miner), the apparent blackmailer.
Scenic designer Katy Monthei and the Ogunquit Playhouse Scene Shop provide a dollhouse of a set with lots of moveable walls and a multitude of doors that add to the fun. Watch for little details like color-coded costumes (Deirdre Gerrard) and oversized murder weapons (Emily Allison, properties) to heighten the experience. Like any good detective, the more things you notice, the more likely you are to solve the puzzle. Kudos to Director Weylin Symes for putting together this crackerjack ensemble and helping them to show that murder and blackmail can be a team sport.
Nice review. I was hoping for a bad one that could have been titled, “Clueless.” Oh, well.
Just a trivial formatting question: Why is the text all centered and not justified left or fully justified?
Pardon the pun, but I don’t have a Clue…
Hah!
Your guess is as good as mine – must have been a problem in the upload. However, that is above my pay grade!