While murder and mayhem will be on the bill, don’t expect a typical whodunit when Lancer Productions opens its new season next week.
The student company will present the madcap comedy “Clue” Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium.
Based on the 1985 cult classic film based on the Parker Brothers board game, “Clue” is set against the backdrop of the Red Scare in 1954. Six strangers are summoned to a mansion for a dinner party under mysterious circumstances. The guests, who are introduced by pseudonyms, quickly discover they all have government influence and are being blackmailed by a Mr. Boddy. When Boddy is murdered during the party, the guests, along with Wadsworth, the butler, work to find the killer while protecting their own secrets.
Producer Stacie Kintigh promises the show will be a sight to see; with a set she described as “something really insane.” She also said the show is “perfectly cast.”
Kintigh said that “Clue” was originally adapted for the stage in 2017, but she didn’t care for the original script. However, the show was revised in 2020, and she and the Lancer Productions directing staff went to see the new production in Chicago last year.
“I loved it,” said Kintigh. “The old script was kind of boring, really slow, and it’s not like how the original movie was designed. And this is designed to flow like the movie. It’s funny, it’s really tight, and it has incredible flow.”
While the show was cast at the end of the last school year, rehearsals began in earnest in August and directors Maddie Harbour and Isabel Conner say their actors took to the material immediately.
“Our kids are funny,” said Harbour. “And that’s the reason we can do these things. And it’s always nice to push them with a farce and really teach them. Comedy in general in the 80s is much different than comedy today.”
Harbour said she and Conner encouraged the actors to watch other films and shows with an emphasis on physical comedy, including Monty Python.
“I think what’s amazing about our kids is they are so self-critical,” said Conner. “They really want to try to encompass the character. And I think it has been so cool to see them taking that initiative … not only trying to embody the character, but the choices they have made with that character and knowing that character.”
“It’s definitely sparked some really good conversations that we’ve had,” added Harbour. “Not just motivation and acting foundations, but it’s just been fun to help create that bond to help them feel supported and that this is fun.”
Kintigh said the cast has done “a great job of meeting the expectations of the script. They’ve all seen the movie, but they also know what they have to do when they get out on that stage. I think more than ever, these kids feel the expectation of what it means to be on that stage. And they want to do well for each other first, for themselves, yes. But they also want to give back to their community every time they’re on that stage. They understand the gift of theater as an art form and that makes me really proud of them.
“They’re first and foremost an ensemble. They’re there to support one another, and they’re there to make the experience the best it can be for everybody who’s in the space. And I think that’s pretty special.”
Meet the cast
Senior Kaden Timmerman, who plays Colonel Mustard, has previously played Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” in 2023, and Bob Enright in last year's production of “9 to 5: The Musical.” While his autumn seasons have usually been spent playing football, an injury sidelined those plans. “I was like, well, I’ve got to find something to do with my time. And this would be a challenge and it’s a cool thing to do and be a part of.”
Timmerman said so far, the show has been an “awesome experience. I’d say with a smaller cast, it can be a bit of a challenge at times, but we all kind of know what it takes to get the show to the next level. Everybody working on their own and then the team aspect of it. It’s a big family, and it means a lot to all of us.”
Senior Charlotte Madden, who plays Miss Scarlet, said she was also looking forward to a challenge with this show.
“The reason why I wanted to audition for ‘Clue’ was because I really wanted to be able to do a comedy and prove to myself I can do everything from a drama to a comedy. I also wanted to try everything for my senior year and leave it all out on that stage.”
While Madden has had some experience in comedic roles, including The Fish in 2023’s “The Cat in the Hat,” and Missy last year in “9 to 5,” she’s also performed in serious roles, such as Mrs. Gibbs in 2023’s “Our Town” and Mrs. Arable in 2024’s “Charlotte’s Web.” She said the role of Miss Scarlet is very different than any character she’s played before.
“This show has made me really dig deep into my character Miss Scarlet. She is more flirtatious and rambunctious than myself, so I have had to really work on the switch of the character versus myself.
“I feel like this cast has bonded on such a high level and I look forward to coming to rehearsal every day. I am so blessed to have amazing actors and actresses surround me and see how they develop their characters.”
Senior Brayden Serrano plays the mysterious butler, Wadsworth. While he’s had experience the last two years playing dramatic characters in “Our Town” and last year’s “Radium Girls,” he got a taste of comedy his freshman year, playing part of the onstage crew in the farce “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
“Even though I wasn’t acting on stage in that show, I got to see the ins and outs of how to work on comedy.”
He said doing “Clue” this year has been a full-circle moment in a lot of ways.
“It’s actually funny, because all four years of high school, every year when the Judy Awards come around, we want to know, what are the next shows going to be? And we’ve always been like, ‘The fall show is going to be Clue.’ Now that it’s my senior year, I’m like, finally! We’ve been waiting for this one.”
“I think a lot of people are excited, because they know the show and they know the characters, and it’s cool to come see something that either you have seen or played and see those characters come to life,” said Conner.
“It’s an awesome show, and there’s a lot of excitement. You never know what’s going to happen, and it’s just a lovely cast, and we had a lot of fun,” said Timmerman.
“It’s so funny,” Serrano said of the show. “If you want to laugh, come here to laugh. It’s a big murder mystery, so it involves audience thinking. It’s very immersive, and it’s a very goofy, fun, cartoony show.”
The cast includes: Kaden Timmerman (Colonel Mustard); Charlotte Madden (Miss Scarlet); Pacey Kane (Mr. Green); Emma Zrostlik (Mrs. Peacock); Riley Johnson (Mrs. White); Ben Hill (Professor Plum); Brayden Serrano (Wadsworth); Jane Nichols (Yvette); Taylar Vondal (Ensemble Woman); Ashton Goodwin (Ensemble Man 1); Riley Plymale (Ensemble Man 2); and Mason Smeltzer (Wadsworth Understudy).
“Clue” is directed by Maddie Harbour and Isabel Conner. The technical director is Josh Tipsword, assisted by Justin Walker. The student technical director is Hannah Nelson. Stage manager is Mya Kelsey, assisted by Bella Riley.
The lighting designer is Madi Brus. Sound design is by Kaitlyn Knepper, and the sound board is operated by Kallen Rohlf. Haidyn Koberg is properties master, assisted by Grady Kirst. The costume crew includes Charli Conner, Kaitlyn Knepper and Nora Davis, and the hair and makeup crew includes Charli Conner and Nora Davis. The stage crew includes Kora Thiessen, Taylor Crain, Chloe Blair, Hayden Lacher and Bella Riley.
Performances are Thursday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 2, at 2 p.m. There is no Friday show. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and are available at the door and at tix.nshslp.com. Please be advised that there will be a credit card processing fee.
The fast-paced comedy runs 90 minutes, without an intermission.