Rating: 
The Oswego High School Drama department delivered a great experience and an amazing performance of the play “Clue,” adapted by Jonathan Lynn. The show came together extremely well, based on the acting, writing, and set design.
“Clue: On Stage” is a theatre adaptation of the 1985 film. It centers around seven main characters – six blackmail victims under an alias that resembles a color, and Mr. Wadsworth, the butler. The characters gather at a dinner party, which has secret ulterior motives, and someone end up getting murdered. The confusing situation turns into an investigation, as everyone searches for both the murderer and the clues.
As I entered the school to buy my ticket, I was greeted by several students dressed up as maids holding out silver platters with concessions on them. It made me feel immersed in the environment this play presented.
After I walked into the auditorium, the maids returned, where they ushered me to my assigned seat. The show didn’t begin too long after.
The acting in the play immediately stood out to me. Each actor was distinct in their roles, playing their character extremely well. In some cases, a character was the complete opposite of the actor, which was for comedic effect, but was still acted out very well on stage. There were no visible flubs or mistakes in any lines, making the actors, as well as the show, very enjoyable to watch.
At some parts of the show, the actors broke the fourth wall. The character directly spoke to the audience, and the auditorium was seen as part of the house as well. The gun sound effects genuinely scared me at first, but I later realized that this weapon is traditionally used throughout the show.
When it was time for intermission, the main character, Mr. Wadsworth, pulled out a large sheet with the word “intermission” on it. All the characters that were on stage during that time stood completely still for the entirety of the 15 minutes. This was very impressive, as it demonstrated the dedication of the actors to their roles. The fact that he could stand that still for that long is very impressive. Not many people have that ability.
The singing telegram girl, even with her short appearance in the show, made herself memorable to the audience with her unexpected appearance and exit. This was during a very chaotic point in the play, where she suddenly appears in the front door and starts singing a short jingle. She’s cut off by the sound of a gunshot and falls to the floor.
The play’s set was super interesting. I liked how the stage pieces all formed into one house with many rooms. The more the characters explored the house, the more rooms were revealed. The set was difficult to depict, but the OHS Drama department crew did a wonderful job building them. However, there were some minor mistakes with the set, like some pieces not being turned completely towards the audience with crew member having to move it back. At some points, I was able to see the cast members backstage. Other than that, the set was well organized and there were no missing props or sets in the wrong places.
Clearly, the cast and crew worked extremely well together to create a very entertaining and comedic show. The acting was spot-on and the characters were very memorable. Aside from the couple mistakes with the fly-in sets, it was very neat to look at and was aesthetically pleasing on the eye. If you didn’t get a chance to see “Clue,” you definitely missed out.
