
James Coors ‘27
Oct 20, 2023
On October 13 and 14, Mercersburg’s Stony Batter Players staged the theatrical version of the movie based on the popular board game Clue. The show is a murder mystery comedy featuring seven main characters, six of whom are guests at the party hosted by the rich Mr. Body.
Particularly strong performances were given by veteran actors William Tutt ’25 as the butler Wadsworth and Janie Miller ’26 as the politico Mrs. Peacock, as well as newcomer Alle Garza ’27 as Yvette, the French maid.
For those who missed the show, the plot takes off when Mr. Body reveals that the reason the six guests have been invited is because he has blackmailed them for an assortment of reasons relevant to their lives. Mr. Body then hands each guest a different murder weapon: a dagger, a revolver, a lead pipe, a candlestick, a rope, and a wrench. At this point, the light flicks off leaving the guests in complete darkness. A shot rings out and Mr. Body is found dead. As the six guests try to identify the murderer among them, more death ensues claiming the cook, the maid, and others. The main characters are forced to work together to try and uncover the murderer before the police arrive, in order to protect themselves and their secrets.
In my opinion, the show went spectacularly on the 14th on the night I attended. All the actors beautifully played their parts, and I was truly immersed in the mystery of the grand mansion for much of the show. The actors delivered each line with such understanding of their character. It was evident that each member of this cast truly cared for the show and put their full effort into it.
I also enjoyed the end of the play, how various different possibilities for the murders and their perpetrators were suggested one after another. Each became more elaborate and hilarious as they were revealed. One detail that I loved was that each time the police barged in they gave different hilarious puns as their names.
The tech crew also executed its job well. The set included or suggested all ten rooms on the Clue board, which proved to be an amazing feat as the cast rushed from room to room (although the small size of the lounge and the study made for some awkward blocking when as many as ten cast members crammed in). Still, the time and effort put into the set was evident.
The great production was clearly representative of the efforts of cast and crew alike, and I am very excited for their upcoming shows in the winter and spring.