Review: CLUE At Red Curtain Theatre

Tis the season for Arkansas to fill up our dance card with show after show, so much that it's hard to catch all of them. Thankfully, I have intelligent, creative friends who can go to performances when time does not allow me to attend. I would love to thank Guest Writers Piper and Jenny Wallace for attending and writing a review of Red Curtain Theatre's production of CLUE, which ran from November 1st through the 17th.  

***Article written by Piper and Jenny Wallace***

This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending and reviewing CLUE at Red Curtain Theatre in Conway. This play is written by Sandy Rustin and is based on the 1985 Paramount movie and the classic Hasbro board game. If you love the boardgame, you would thoroughly enjoy watching it come to life on the stage. It contains the same memorable characters, the quirky weapons, and the distinct rooms of the mansion.  

Clue is a play about a set of characters each having their own secrets they want to keep concealed. They all arrive at a party hosted by a character pretending to be the butler named Wadsworth, which we later find out is Mr. Boddy who owns the mansion. After arriving at the mansion, the guests find the doors are locked and there is no way out. The game begins as characters are eliminated one by one in unpredictable ways. Not being able to trust anyone in the house, they look for clues to help them solve the mystery. In a hilarious fashion, they search room to room uncovering body after body. 

We loved everything about the show from the detailed set design to the suspenseful background music. The first characters to appear are the mysterious Wadsworth, depicted perfectly by Jameson Watkins, and Yvette, portrayed with a flair by Rylee House. They both do a wonderful job setting the stage with their impressive accents and comedic timing.  

The unsuspecting guests begin to arrive and the fun begins. Colonel Mustard, who was  

portrayed seamlessly by Scot Polk (Dave Madsen’s U/S for the role) was hilariously clueless and delivered several laugh out loud moments. Stacey Margaret Jones was a perfect fit for the role of Mrs. White. Her quick, sharp delivery brought the character to life. The hilariously absurd Mrs. Peacock was portrayed by Donna Hubbard. She did a wonderful job portraying the hypocritical neighbor next door. Ben Parrish, who played Mr. Green brought a believable mix of quirkiness and nervous energy to the stage. Johnny Passmore, who we have seen in many shows and always love, portrayed the highly intelligent, mysterious role of Professor Plum perfectly. Dana Kordsmeier lit up the stage as Miss Scarlet. She had wonderful chemistry with her fellow cast members during every interaction. Emilee Witbeck played the role of the Cook and she delivered several timely one liners that consistently landed with the audience. Isaac Udouj and Remington Gonser rounded out the production by portraying multiple roles contributing to the overall success of the show.  

Although the show was filled with many hysterical highlights, our favorite moment was when Jameson Watkin’s character, Wadsworth, performs a recap of the chaotic, murder-filled evening. His impeccably timed, rapid-fire monologue left the audience riveted and laughing out loud. Another surprising moment came when the audience witnessed a chandelier falling in slow motion, perfectly synchronized by the actor’s slow-motion reactions.  

The amount of work the cast and crew poured into this show paid off. The high expectations Director Daniel Cathers had were obvious throughout from the impeccable casting to the elaborate set. He did a wonderful job maximizing every square foot of the stage as well as the entire theater. Daniel’s vision and execution gave the audience a memorable experience. I can’t wait to see what he directs next. 

We’ve seen many amazing shows at Red Curtain Theatre and this was one of our favorites. We weren’t the only ones who felt that way, Clue was such a hit that its run was extended for an additional weekend due to back-to-back sold-out performances. If you weren’t able to catch this show, be sure to mark your calendars for December 8th at 7:00 for their Season 12 reveal. We cannot wait to see what shows they have planned for us all next year.

You don’t have to wait until next season to enjoy a show, because Oliver Jr. is just around the corner December 13th through December 22nd. Head to https://www.redcurtaintheatre.com to purchase your tickets. 

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