STLCC-Meramec students to perform murder mystery musical Oct. 3-6.
By: Taylor Menke
-Staff Writer-
Wrench. Pipe. Candlestick. Knife. Revolver. Rope. These objects should sound like potential murder weapons from childhood. The famous Hasbro mystery, notable for its colorful characters and deductive sleuthing, has come in many forms over the past half-century. Books, television shows, computer games, a feature film and even jigsaw puzzles have carried on Clue’s lucrative legacy, and the game itself has gone through many editions and culturally-sensitive alterations for foreign players.
This fall at STLCC-Meramec, audiences are invited to participate in a game of Clue when the theater department brings the board to the stage – literally.
“It is the board game,” Rick Willmore, Clue production designer, said of the set. “The colors are taken from [the game] … We’re really pushing that concept.”
The set, considered more traditional than others that have been featured at Meramec, takes advantage of platforms and multiple levels of viewing. There are several “rooms” that the audience can easily see from any vantage point, and of course, these rooms are integral to the plot of the show. Clue is after all a murder mystery, and the main point of the game is to figure out who committed the crime with what weapon in which part of the house.
The musical is no different.
“The game actually came about during World War II, interestingly enough,” director Keith Oliver said. “This was a game that a man and wife kind of invented down in a bomb shelter to pass the time of day.”
Clue became popular, both with English and non-English players. What started as a way for air raid evacuees to avoid boredom became a hit household pastime. Oliver hopes that nostalgia for the game, as well as its popularity, will draw Meramec students looking for a good show.
The musical opens by introducing a cast of characters – or caricatures, depending on who you talk to. The names are familiar: Miss Scarlett, draped in red; Mrs. Peacock, adorned in blue; and so on. All of the characters are brought together conveniently in time for their host (Mr. Boddy) to be tragically murdered. The group, collectively labeled “the suspects,” must prove their innocence and avoid incrimination, but an eager female detective aims to stop that.
“My initial inspiration was Jane Lynch,” Caroline Steinkamp said of her role as the detective. “It’s kind of a strange script.”
It could be considered strange because of the quirky, sometimes risque comedy, and because of its interactive nature. Yes: the audience gets to play Clue while seeing Clue, and to add to the matryoshka, the characters seem self-aware of their lives in a box.
“So what happens is, you’ll get a game card just like what happens in the regular game, with suspects and weapons,” Oliver said. “We have three audience members draw the cards and put them in a secret file envelope. There’s some improvisation in this game, because there’s over 216 possible endings; you have to get the actors to be ready and open to all the possibilities.”
The actors have put different spins on the characters they play, no easy task considering the multiple editions and formats Clue has taken on while being a franchise. Some characters have been altered, either because of cultural differences or because of relevance, and most have been given a modern spin in the musical production. Miss Scarlett, for example, is a former Las Vegas lounge performer. Mrs. White is played by a cross-dressing man.
“In the original board game, [Mr. Green] was a pastor – a dirty pastor,” Derek Robertson, who plays the character, said. “He took money under the table and stole from the church. …Now, he’s more of a used car salesman.”
Robertson compares his role to something Kevin Spacey might play, if of course, Kevin Spacey was ever in a musical based off of a board game.
Robertson multitasks in the production. Not only does he play Mr. Green, he also leads make-up design. And it is not just make-up. Prosthetics, wigs and ensuring the characters look vibrant and off-the-wall are top priorities.
“This is probably the most wigs I’ve ever done for a show. Every single person on stage is wearing some form of wig,” Robertson said.
Meramec has become somewhat famous for its quality theater productions. Its directors attempt to give each season a variety of shows, from classics to comedies to modern dramas. Its sets are widely regarded as some of the best designed and executed of any college, and its shows are often seen as both entertaining and fundamental to students’ learning experiences, whether they participate onstage, offstage, or in front of the stage.
Clue: The Musical will be running from Oct. 3 – 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 7 (the matinee) at 2:00 p.m. Bring a friend, a family member or a favorite stranger. Admission is free.
