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A routine dinner spiraled into murder, blackmail and frantic suspicion as Justice High School staged Clue: On Stage, pairing an ominous mystery with exaggerated physical comedy.
Set at Boddy Manor in 1954, the fast-moving whodunit follows six guests and a butler whose evening descends into chaos after their host, Mr. Boddy, is found dead. With no obvious culprit, the group must investigate while confronting the possibility that any one of them could be the killer.
Sandy Rustin adapted the play in 2017 from the 1985 film Clue. Although modified for live theater, the production retained the movie’s rapid pace, sinister humor and multiple endings.
From the guests’ arrivals through the final moments, the leading performers kept the audience immersed in the investigation. Abby Leegwater made Mrs. Peacock especially memorable through awkward physical movements and a powerful vocal delivery. Alexa Salang took the opposite approach as Miss Scarlet, commanding attention with a cool demeanor, sarcastic remarks and expressive reactions.
Kyle Aylward as Mustard, Jason Gonzalez-Canales as Green, Rahel Kassa as White, Joe Witters as Plum and Joseph Hepperie as butler Wadsworth sustained distinct character choices while contributing to the manor’s unsettling atmosphere.
Costumes created under Emy Fase’s direction reinforced the show’s heightened 1950s style and made each archetype immediately recognizable. White’s restrained black dress suggested modesty, wealth and sophistication, while Scarlet’s vivid red outfit reflected her flirtatious confidence. Keeping every character in a signature color also helped the audience follow the action amid the escalating confusion.
Lighting designers Chloe Bernasconi and Hayden Jeff completed the eerie setting through a careful mixture of illumination and shadow. Darkened spaces increased the tension, while the cast’s well-timed physical comedy kept the suspense playful.
The lighting also echoed the characters’ identifying colors. Red filled the background when Scarlet took focus, purple appeared for Plum and other shades accompanied their corresponding characters. The effect gave Boddy Manor a more cohesive and immersive visual identity.
Together, Justice High School’s performers and technicians transformed the familiar murder mystery into an energetic comedy that placed the audience in the middle of a wildly unpredictable investigation.