Clue: The Game is Afoot in the Black Box Theater

Working in the cozy confines of the Black Box Theater, the cast is able to convey a sense of action unfolding across multiple rooms—thanks in part to a clever set that consists of several walls and dividers on wheels that can be deployed in various configurations. The script is full of groan-worthy puns and clever plot twists, and at a community performance on Wednesday afternoon, the talented cast embraced both aspects of the show. 

A handful of seniors—Phoebe Fogel, Kam Harris, Valentina Joseph, Emerson Paquette, and Leila Saponaro, all Class of '24—were making their final appearances in the Black Box (though the winter musical will give them one last chance to join a Rivers cast). All were standouts, with Fogel as Mrs. Peacock, married to a senator and proud of it; Harris as the stalwart Professor Plum; Joseph exuding hauteur as Mrs. White; Paquette as the crafty butler Wadsworth (spoiler alert: the butler didn’t do it); and Saponaro as Miss Scarlet, a lady in red. And yes, someone does say, “Frankly, Miss Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.”

Clue is very much an ensemble drama, and the cast clearly enjoyed coming together as a team. They were ably supported by a student crew and several faculty members, including director Juliet Bailey, producer Julia Auster-Hogan, costume designer Cathy Favreau, and light board operator Walker Anderson.

As for the answer to the key question—Whodunit?—suffice it to say that most won’t see it coming. But then again, the solution is almost irrelevant: The fun is in the campy, hilarious journey to the final curtain. 


View a gallery from the show.