As the clock hit 5:00pm on Thursday, May 29th, the black box theater in Room 329 was packed. Jazz music was playing as students, teachers, and parents chattered quietly. The black walls of the room were transformed with framed paintings and a couch, chairs and table sat empty at the front of the room. The crowd waited in eager anticipation for the opening night of the MBHS production of Clue.
Though the attendees had been informed via email that the play would start at 5 on the dot, the figurative curtain did not rise until the fashionably late time of 5:09. The lights dimmed, the crowd quieted down, and we were introduced to the first three characters: Wadsworth, the uptight butler played by Adam Brukman, Yvette, the flirtatious maid played by Lindsay Beckford, and The Cook, played by Hazel C. Shapiro. As the house servants chatted about the arrival of the guests, I noticed two players displaying true commitment to their roles: Brukman had put on a formal British accent and Beckford was accenting her speech with French.
When Yvette and The Cook depart the stage to start preparing for a dinner party, Wadsworth introduces the audience to the six guests: war hero Colonel Mustard (played by Jose Velez), Miss Scarlet, a Washington madame (portrayed by Madison Selby), devoted Christian Mrs. Peacock (Cora Anderson), the self-obsessed Professor Plum (Harry Adler), a five-time widow Mrs. White (A. Watson), and government worker Mr. Green (Liam McCormack).
All of these characters were invited to a mysterious mansion by Mr. Boddy, a man who has been blackmailing them all. But no one can say who exactly Mr. Boddy is. When the guests finally meet the man in question (played by Emanuelle Gray), he reveals that he has called the police and will reveal their crimes to the authorities. Each character has a secret that could ruin their lives— Colonel Mustard sells war radios on the black market, Miss Scarlet runs a brothel, Mrs. Peabody takes bribe money, Professor Plum has had an affair with a student, Mrs. White killed her husband, and Mr. Green is a homosexual–a fireable offense in this 1954 set tale –and thus a motive to off their host
Boddy gives each guest a gift of a weapon: a gun, rope, candlestick, wrench, pipe, gun, and dagger. All of a sudden, the lights go out and we hear a gunshot. The light flashes back on and Mr. Boddy is dead on the floor, but no one owns up. As the play progressed, five more victims are claimed—though the six principal guests and Wadsworth are spared. This classic whodunit takes twists and turns–accusations are made and secrets revealed, suspicions are cast. In the end, Wadsworth and one of the guests–I’ll let you guess who–is revealed. A happy ending is not in store for the six suspects, though the watch was very rewarding for the viewers.
Though a mystery, the play was full of funny moments that revealed the characters’ true natures. The audience broke into laughter when a disgruntled Wadsworth yelled ‘SIT!’ to the household dogs but the startled Mr. Green e frantically (and obediently) sat down. At another point, the characters played a game of hot potato with a dead head they found in a closet. A highlight for me was Cora Anderson’s portrayal of Mrs. Peabody whom she so convincingly played as a dramatic, hysterical, ultra-religious woman that I find it hard to believe that she is not the same in real life.
The unsung stars of the show were the costumes, my favorite being Professor Mustard’s–Velez stalked the stage in a canary yellow suit! Every single person in the crowd surely remembered his character’s name as he looked like a bottle of French’s in human form. Each character had a unique look.
The one complaint I have is that the end felt rushed. After the big plot twist was revealed, the play was over! I am not sure if it is like this in the movie as the MBHS production of Clue was my first ever exposure to the story, but we in the audience were left wanting more.Despite the seemingly abrupt ending, I believe that it is a testament that the play was good— no one desires more of something bad, right? If you did not get a chance to see Clue during its two-day run, I fear that you really did miss out on an amazing show, it was filled with comedic moments, plot twists, good sets, great costumes, and great talent.
