“It’s empty!” Miss Scarlet, played by senior Dara Jackson, said.
Gasps echoed throughout the set as the briefcase containing “blackmail evidence” opened. Just moments prior, two bodies were found dead. Now, one was missing.
Set in a remote mansion in Washington D.C. during the 1950s, six mysterious guests– Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Mr. Green, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock and Miss Scarlet– are invited to an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host Mr. Boddy turns up dead, they automatically become suspects.
The audience watched in suspense as the Eagle Theatre Company casted Clue: On Stage– a hilarious murder mystery adapted from the 1985 film Clue, which is based on the popular board game. Taking place in the Dr. Marlene Hammerle Auditorium on Friday night, February 7, the crowd followed the characters as they worked their way to find out who committed the murders.
“Clue is super fun. I absolutely love the people that were in it,” junior Cessaley Henderson, who plays Yvette the maid, said. “And the fact that it was a small cast made it so much easier for us to all get closer together.”
Despite the fact that the show had a smaller cast than usual, members were able to cooperate and create new bonding experiences with one another– even the newer members.
“It was a little bumpy at first,” Jackson said. “I think because we have a lot of people [in our production] who are new to theater, everybody was new to things and were adjusting. But after a certain point, there was such a great group camaraderie, and it was just a great vibe overall.”
The six suspects– cast by freshman Mason Johnson, sophomores Austin Laughlin and Kailyn White, junior Emily Keith, and seniors Christopher Humphery and Dara Jackson– slowly connect the dots that lead to who the killer is.
“I got a really playful and creative character,” Humphrey said. “It wasn’t like I was restricted on what I could do and stuff like that. The character felt more like myself.”
After their production of The Wizard of Oz in November, the Eagle Theater Company spent 6 consecutive weeks preparing for Clue. The performance dates went from February 6th through the 9th, with the final day starting at 3pm.
“Putting the set together was definitely a struggle at first because of how much we had to make,” Set-designer sophomore Jillian Holocomb said. “We were told to make spinning walls and the chandelier ourselves, so we were super confused. But after we finally got our materials and the layout, we were much more confident in doing it.”
Characters walked through intricate rooms and secret passageways designed by the theater production. Backstage members spun decorated walls to expose new rooms, and an essential object was made to thicken the plot.
“My favorite part is whenever the cat falls,” Henderson said. “We couldn’t find a way to get the cat to fall in the center of the stage so we decided ‘why not have it on a chandelier?’”
Clue is a who-did-it comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist. With the dead body count stacking up and police on the way, the actors created suspense– aided by sound-directors controlling the thunderstorms.
“My favorite part was definitely dying because it was fun to pretend to be dead and hear everything happen around me on stage,” sophomore Maya Waldon said. “Whenever Wadsworth grabbed my arm to check if I was alive, I almost laughed and broke character.”
Beneath the murders and fingerprints, members had a blast performing and creating memories.
“I haven’t done a show since junior year, so I was kind of nervous considering the changes,” Jackson said. “I’ve done theater with this company for four years, and this was my first lead role ever.”
After countless rehearsals and daunting build pushbacks, the theater members had time to finally get some rest.
“There was a lot of energy and it felt nice to make everyone laugh,” Waldon said. “It feels like I got adopted into a family.”
