I had the pleasure of attending a matinee performance of Theatre 29’s production of “Clue,” directed by Kathryn Ferguson.
Adapted for the stage by Sandy Rustin, the play is based on the screenplay from the 1985 film written by Jonathan Lynn. Both draw heavy inspiration from the classic Hasbro board game, in which players must determine which character committed a gruesome murder. The role is seamlessly transferred to audience members in this production, making for a smart, engaging, and wildly funny farce-meets-murder mystery.
The game’s six traditional characters return in an early Cold War-era setting, where the suspicion and paranoia of the times bleed from politics into a dinner party held at Boddy Manor. Pseudonyms mask the guest’s true identities, each plagued by personal secrets and questionable motives. When their blackmailing host is suddenly murdered, the characters must determine whether to trust or turn on one another to identify the killer.
Photo: Adeline J. Wells
The set was impressively well-designed, spanning the entire front of the theater. All decor was of the times, and a series of prop doors represented the Manor’s many different spaces, which characters snuck in and out of coyly. The classic board game layout hung in the backdrop of many scenes, tying together the production with its inspiration.
All six guests were diverse in their deliveries and had undeniable chemistry. Cruz Jimenez’s charmingly clumsy Colonel Mustard was a perfect comedic match for Virginia Sulick’s flirtatious Miss Scarlett. Tiffany Crocker’s prudish Mrs. Peacock drew many laughs, and Adeline Guyenne played cold with elegance as Mrs. White. Jack McLead and Makasi Boykin were dynamic as Professor Plum and Mr. Green. Ron Bottorff made the most of his cameos, dead and alive.
The dry, witty English butler Wadsworth, played by Charles Harvey, guided the characters on their quest and was excellent at engaging the audience. This was most notable with his sarcastic, rapid, extensive monologue recapping the events of the evening, which drew boisterous applause. Along with a talented supporting cast, all actors garnered near-constant laughter from the audience as they were drawn into the quick-moving comedic mystery.
With vibrant actors, quick comedy, and a captivatingly fast tale, Clue will keep you laughing and guessing until the final curtain — or body — falls.
“Clue” performances run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; the show continues its run at Theatre 29 through September 1. Tickets can be purchased online at theatre29.org, or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151.
