Clue, Fremd’s 2025 fall play, took center stage this month, running from Thursday, Oct. 9, to Saturday, Oct. 11. The show featured the signature characters from the famous board game, including Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Ms. Scarlet, and Mr. Boddy, as they find themselves wrapped in an exciting murder and blackmail plot.
The effort and innovation put into this production was evident from the beginning, starting with the set. The play took place in Mr. Boddy’s manor, with all of the famous rooms paralleling the board game. Though it seemed like the available space to portray every room was limited, the set crew brilliantly designed the doors to open inwards, allowing the cast to enter new rooms simply by opening the door inwards and decorating the stage with new props. This effect was especially strong during the scenes where the cast was running in and out of rooms, trying to look for clues. Every time they entered a new place, the doors’ unique position made it seem as if the viewers were looking at the backside of the door from the inside of the room, creating a truly engrossing illusion. The amount of thought surrounding this shined in the performance.
On top of the set, the story was similarly clever. The twist of Wadsworth, played by senior Emerson Carter, being the true Mr. Boddy that was blackmailing everyone was both shocking and thrilling, as was the turn that senior Lukas Kozak’s Mr. Green was actually an undercover FBI agent. The idea that every person locked in the manor was responsible for a murder was intriguing, and it was interesting that the narrative was able to diverge from the board game in this way, and allowing each person to be involved and everyone’s storyline to be important and exciting.
Furthermore, one of the highlights of the production was how concepts from the board game were included and implemented in the show. The idea of Ms. Scarlet, played by senior Gabriella Vazquez, and Colonel Mustard, played by senior Chan You, stumbling upon a secret passageway was executed very well. The way they walked down the side steps of the stage looked exactly like they were walking down the steps of the trap door, and it was captivating that they were able to include this idea from the board game. It was also fascinating how all of the weapons from the game were given time to shine, and giving every character one of these murder weapons was a clever way to create suspense and mystery around who the murderer truly was.
Moreover, the acting in this production was thrilling and stole the show. Carter was hilarious, especially as he was dramatizing Mr. Boddy’s death, and played an extremely compelling villain. He captured the conversation with an immersive performance throughout the production. His recap of the entire play in Act II, as well his monologue of his nefarious plan to get the rest of the characters arrested, were show milestones.
This talent also radiated off the rest of the cast. You’s Colonel Mustard had the audience laughing with every line, especially as he and Vazquez’s Ms. Scarlett explored The Conservatory and secret passageway together. The two played off each other very well and had a naturally comedic dynamic, making this scene very entertaining and one of the play’s highlights.
Vazquez and You—as well as junior Sofia Commodaro as Mrs. Peacock, senior Natalie Jester as Mrs. White, Kozak as Mr. Green, junior Lilianna DeGiulio as the Cook, sophomore Madeline Wenzel as Yvette, and senior Kruz Peterson as Professor Plum—all had charming line delivery in the opening scene of the play, and their introductions were a great way to kick off the production. They all continued to put on enthralling performances for the rest of the show.
Every person in the cast had strong moments, which made the production intense and immersive. Sophomore Mara Ciobanu’s haunting performance as the Motorist left an untouchable footprint, as did freshman Aaryan Addanki-Tirumala’s, sophomore Emmie Kossack’s, and junior Lukus Smolka’s hilarious appearances as the police force at the end of the show.
Every person in this production, from the members of the Set Crew, to the cast, to the Stage Crew, and all of the others behind the scenes, certainly made their mark in Clue, and it’s a promising start to this year’s Fremd Theatre.
