An Air of Mystery

Upper school’s fall production of Clue kept viewers on the edge of their seats

WAS IT PEACOCK, MUSTARD, OR PLUM?

Was it with the rope, the lead pipe, or the candlestick?

This year’s upper school fall play production of Clue kept the audience pointing fingers until the very end.

Based on the wildly popular board game Clue and its 1985 movie adaptation, the play opened with each of the six characters receiving a mysterious dinner party invitation. Their host threatens to expose their darkest secrets unless they show up to his mansion and follow his instructions. When a series of murders unfolds, the party guests—colorfully named Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, Colonel Mustard, and Mr. Green—must scramble to uncover the murderer among them before it’s too late; their lives and reputations are at stake, after all.

The show utilized farce comedy, a genre defined by hyperbole and absurdity, to deliver witty one-liners and over-the-top characters. Upper school theater teacher and director Zoe Swenson-Graham described it as a “fast-paced, zany, kooky, physical comedy.”

“It’s a real opportunity for the actors to not only explore physicality but also to explore big characters,” Zoe said. She appreciated the cast’s “willingness to try all of our weird ideas.”

A unique logistical challenge that arose was the double-casting process: most roles were played by two different actors depending on the performance, and each actor played more than one character. This meant they had to learn twice as many lines as usual and had less time to devote to each role. However, cast member Sophie Druskin ’24 believes the extra effort and moving pieces involved was worth it.

“The complexity is what makes this such a fun show to watch,” Sophie said. Prior to the show, she expressed excitement to see the audience’s reaction, wondering if they would be able to “catch” everything.

Sophie, who played both Mr. Green and enigmatic party host Mr. Boddy, described the cast as “fantastically skilled at comedy.”

“At times it’s hard to work alongside them because I can’t stay in character,” she said, recalling instances when rehearsal had to be paused for the actors to regain composure after collective fits of laughter.

The play was performed Dec. 2-4, with four shows in total. Congratulations to the cast and crew!

To learn more about Nueva athletics, visit nuevaschool. org/athletics.