In three straight nights of a dazzling production, the Drama Club presented the world with Millbrook High School’s own version of Clue. Based on the 1985 film and infamous board game, Clue’s on-stage version is a dramatic but rollicking tale of a Red Scare-era dinner party full of high-profile guests. Though the action-packed evening was plagued with murder and shocking plot twists, the audience couldn’t get a break from laughing.
“I want them to have a fun time. I want them to have as much fun as we do,” said Noah Wilson, a sophomore portraying Colonel Mustard on stage.
Junior Jayden Paulson commanded the stage with his hilarious antics as Wadsworth, the conniving butler who wasn’t as he seemed. He steered the plot throughout the show as he invited the guests in and showed them to dinner, trapping them in the house together as a string of six shocking murders happen in just one night. The other servants in the house were the sinister seeming Cook, played by Piper Garrett and Yvette the tricky French maid, played by Finlay Marshall.
The stage was filled with the unique personalities of characters you may remember from family game night: The zany Mrs. Peacock, the awkward Mr. Green, the shady Mrs. White, the mysterious Mr. Plum, the cocky Colonel Mustard and the charming Ms. Scarlet. Each was expertly brought to life by one of Millbrook’s own talented actors or actresses.
“It’s always well put together,” said audience member sophomore Sasha Wilson of Millbrook’s productions.
But of course, it wasn’t just the actors that made Clue the amazing play that it turned out to be- It was also the dozens of talented people working behind the scenes. In this production, the set crew also got to showcase their true talent.
“The set is honestly one of the best parts and aspects of it,” said Ethan Godbolt, a junior who worked on Clue’s set. Noah Wilson further explained the obstacle that the production faced, in terms of set, saying, “In the movie Clue, you have this big mansion and all we have to work with is like eighty feet of stage.” As displayed in the board game, Clue is set in an expansive mansion with nine individual rooms, not including the hall, that had to be portrayed. Creating a set that extensive was not only a spatial issue, but one that required many hours of time spent hard at work.
Explaining their predicament and solution, Millbrook’s Bailey Federowicz said, “We had the issue of having to do so many rooms. So, it’s like, what are we going to do? Because we don’t have one of those fun spinning things on the floor, right? We can’t spin rooms around. So, what we did do instead is we put hinges on the walls, and now they fold out into different rooms”.
Millbrook’s set crew, along with director Danny Kotzian and tech director Everett Edwards, crafted a highly innovative set to solve the problem. They painted many different backdrop panels to represent the mansion’s rooms, then attached them on hinges, sliding and moving the pieces for a scene change. The dedicated backstage hands would add run on and off stage during the brief period between scenes, adding props to further distinguish the rooms.
“Most of this stuff we got back in the scene shop,” said Federowicz of Clue’s remarkable set and props. “It’s like Mary Poppins’ bag of wonders,” she described. Federowicz worked hard behind the scenes, controlling the show’s lights.
Every one does their own special job on and offstage to make an enjoyable show, with dozens of students and teachers are involved in each of Millbrook’s spectacular productions. They have showcased an appreciation of so many different stories over the years, creating an enjoyable performance for the community each Fall and Spring. The thrilling on-stage tale we see for three short nights took months of hard work, collaboration, and a true love of the theatre arts to bring to life.
At the end of it all, for many participants in Millbrook’s Drama Club, it’s the connections, not just the fun of the show, that make all the work worth it.
“I got to grow a lot closer with everybody that’s in it,” said N. Wilson of the production.
But perhaps most importantly, this play wasn’t just a high school adaptation of a great board game or movie- it’s our own. It was hilarious and witty and engaging, because Millbrook made it their own.
“Some people expect the movie just in play form. But no- it’s different, and it’s funny, and it’s hilarious,” said N. Wilson. “It’s Millbrook’s,” added Godbolt.
