Depending on if you spent most of your childhood outdoors at the park or indoors fixated on a new game, you may or may not be familiar with the iconic characters from the classic board game Clue. This fall, members of the JCHS Theatre Arts Program (TAP) are taking on the roles of the potential suspects in the stage adaptation of the board-game inspired movie Clue.
Set in 1954 — the peak of the Red Scare — Clue follows eight mysterious guests — Ms. Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Ms. Peacock, Mrs. White, Mr. Plum, a French maid Yvette, and a butler Wadsworth, who are being blackmailed to attend a dinner party hosted by an anonymous host that ends up dead before dessert. In this murder mystery farce, the dinner guests must figure out which one of them killed their host, as well as other surprise guests along the way, before the police arrive and their blackmail is revealed.
Each of the guests are uniquely portrayed by JCHS students who have their own perspective of the characters and have worked diligently to make them their own. Each cast member spoke to me about their experience working on the show leading up to opening night:
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“Definitely trying to hone in on my [British] accent, because that’s not something I have done before in any of my roles. Also, my mannerisms, I have to try to keep calm all the time and maintain a stage presence as the butler.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“All the crazy stuff that happens! Us going through doors…a lot of technical stuff…a lot of funny dialogue as well. We really have to pull it off right and I think we are doing that.”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“Honestly, the comedy of the show. I’m excited for them to see that. Also, the mystery. They are going to be questioning the entire time, they are going to be like ‘what’s this?’, ‘who did this?’, ‘where did that come from?’. They are going to be figuring it out along the way until at the end it gets revealed.”
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“Definitely, I feel like I always get an innocent typecast and this role is the total opposite, so having to tune into that has been really difficult but I’ve been really enjoying it.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“I get to be hot and awesome! This character is so me and so I am so happy to have people come and see me in my element which is exciting!”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“Honestly, the set! The set has been super exciting with all the moving pieces. I feel like we haven’t had a lot of moving pieces like this since Matilda*. The Matilda set was really cool and this set is really awesome.”
*Matilda was a JCHS TAP production put on in 2022.
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“Probably the accent. I’m having second thoughts, but I’m going to stick with it.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“Probably the fact that I’m cast for the first time since middle school instead of crew, I get to have a mic again. I have a new perspective on the shows.”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“Maybe the fast pace nature of the show. Most shows I have worked on in the past here have been slower, they haven’t had the fast back-and-forth energy that we have in this show.”
Mr. Green:
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“Being anxious and scared on stage the whole time, since my character is always nervous”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“It is my first play, and I am really enjoying being with the cast … it’s really fun to have a stage presence and have fun with all my best friends”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“Everyone has a really funny scene … honestly I think it’s going to be a really funny show”
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“Probably working on my character’s voice. It’s very out of my comfort zone, but it’s fun and I’m excited to explore it.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“I guess just working with everybody and making a kind of family. It’s really cool to see all the moving parts come together.”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“I’m excited for everyone to see all the characters, I think people will really enjoy the show.”
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“I understood what kind of character he was, but I didn’t really understand how he would deliver his lines. He is a very snobby, cocky guy but he’s not nervous and I’m a nervous guy so I’d chuckle at the end of a line … I had to realize Professor Plum wouldn’t do that and really lock in.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“I think overall it’s a very good production. What excites me most is being able to be on stage with very talented actors. I do think getting to see everyone as their characters doing good, I think it brings a joy to be with the likes of them and learn from them.”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“I think the bits in here are hilarious and I can’t stop crying and laughing at everything. I think everyone is so talented and we all have really good chemistry that brings everything together on stage.”
- What was the greatest challenge you had while developing your character?
“The greatest challenge I had was mastering the [French] accent, or trying to master the accent.”
- What excites you most about this production in particular?
“I think the show’s really interesting and I know it’s a great group of people, a great cast. The fact that it’s a murder-mystery is really cool and unique.”
- What are you most looking forward to having audiences see with this show, compared to other JCHS shows you have acted in/seen?
“I’m most excited for audiences to see the cartoon scene where we are all running across the stage, I think that’s a really fun number. Although it was really hard for us to do, it was really fun, audiences are going to love it!”
Personal Reflection:
In this JCHS TAP production, I will be portraying the role of the dinner guest Mrs. White, a morbid, tragic woman who is accused of killing her five ex-husbands. Despite her rather ghastly nature, this role has been one of the most exciting I have played, despite its challenges. Portraying Mrs. White has been challenging for the sheer fact that she never cracks a smile during the play, a play that is packed with hilarity. I am most excited and grateful to be a part of this production that has been worked on by very, very talented people both in the cast and crew. The community that we have formed has become something very special and near to my heart. I hope when audiences come see the show, they will see the impact of our relationships shine through the characters and the lines.
