First came the board game. Next, a movie. Then, a play. And now the classic murder mystery “Clue” is coming to Westminster.
Winters Mill High School drama students will perform their take on the play, adapted for a high school audience, this weekend and next.
In the story, on a dark and stormy night, six guests are invited to a dinner party at the Boddy Mansion and discover that they’re all being blackmailed for their various “un-American” behavior. The show is set during the 1950s, at the height of the Red Scare. After a killing takes place in the mansion, the cast of characters must discover who committed it, where it took place, and with what weapon, staying true to the objective of the original board game.
Performances begin Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and continue Nov. 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. The play — which was written by Sandy Rustin and based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn— runs for 1 1/2 hours.
Natalie Bolander is an English and drama teacher at Winters Mill who also runs the drama program. This is her fourth year at the high school, and she said her students have been begging to perform “Clue” for a few years. The students were thrilled when the show choice was announced.
Bolander’s grandfather, Walter Hann, is a retired electrician. Just before the school year started, he visited the school, evaluated the already-existing inventory, took some notes, and went to Home Depot to make some additional purchases, before he built the whole set in his garage. He delivered the set to the school over the course of three Saturdays, Bolander said.
“Students and their parents volunteered to paint it,” she added.
Ticket sales fund the drama program, and if there’s a need that the drama program can’t meet itself, Bolander reaches out to the parent-run drama boosters club, which does independent fundraising.
Bolander noted that one challenge in putting on a production of “Clue” was the sheer number of props necessary for the performance.
Tenth grader James Miller, 15, plays Col. Mustard, one of the guests at the mansion. Miller said he has a lot in common with Mustard. “Col. Mustard, honestly … portrays a lot of my personality. We’re very ADHD, definitely,” he said with a laugh.
Oliver Naugle, 16, is a junior who plays Wadsworth, a British butler, leading the cast through the murder mystery.
Naugle has been performing in theater since fourth grade and has known some of the other cast members, such as Miller, for years. “It’s really nice getting to see him grow up and work with him in high school,” he said.
With many lines for each cast members to manage, some students are taking a new approach to an age-old challenge for theater performers. Cy Olsen, 14, a ninth grader who plays the motorist, said he memorized his lines using Quizlet, a digital flashcard website.
Lucy Ehmann, 14, also learned her lines using Quizlet, as the understudy for Ms. Peacock. She also learned how to tap dance for her role as the “singing telegram,” an iconic character from the 1985 film. She said she’s enjoyed working with the cast and crew, and having the opportunity to connect with her peers.
Bolander said she’s been impressed with how the actors are making legendary and beloved characters their own.
“Anyone who’s a fan of the film … definitely come, because the script does stay true to the movie, with just a few tweaks here and there, but the ending is its own special thing,” she said.
Performances of “Clue” will be held in the Winters Mill High School auditorium at 560 Gorsuch Road in Westminster. Tickets cost $5 for students, $15 for adults and $10 for seniors.
Have a news tip? Contact Gabriella Fine at gfine@baltsun.com or at 443-900-1296.