By Katherine Karlson
A dark and stormy night provides the ominous backdrop for six mysterious strangers who arrive at a spooky mansion where “a murder is announced.” Welcome to the controlled chaos of Clue, a zany one-act stage adaptation of the popular 1985 film that itself is based on the classic board game.
For those unfamiliar with the game or the movie, the challenge is to determine which of six colorfully named suspects committed the murder with what weapon and in what room of the mansion, which is filled with hidden staircases that connect different rooms.
Director Brian Flynn, whose last production at Ti-Ahwaga was Spamalot, is a big fan of the movie and sees the play as a faithful rendition of it.
Set in the 1950s, the play offers a unique, immersive experience for the audience. There is, however, no audience participation.
“When the audience sees the stage, it replicates the board game, and the actors move around it,” Flynn said.
“The concept of the set is that gravity is not working that well, and the game pieces will start to rise up,” he added. “We’re using more of the stage than we have for a long time.”
The movie Clue featured three separate endings, and audiences never knew ahead of time which one they would see. Flynn offers the tantalizing hint that “the play keeps in the spirit of the film’s ‘alternative ending’ concept.”
Not only is the set out of the ordinary, but Flynn describes the cast of 10 as “all-stars who are at the top of their game.”
“I knew when I saw their names it would be an actor’s play,” he added.
That cast includes Megan Germond, Caitlin Westfall, Amy Gilbert, Anna Rizzotti, Shane Smith, Gil Choi, Chris Vanderwerker, Scott Saggiomo and James Mead.
The play includes characters not found in the board game, most notably Wadsworth the butler (always a promising choice in any murder mystery), a saucy French maid named Yvette, various agents of the law and some expendable underlings. The role of the host, Mr. Boddy, is obvious.
Ryan Canavan, fresh off a successful run as Christy Mahon in Playboy of the Western World at the Summer Savoyards’ fundraiser two weeks ago, is the oh-so-proper Wadsworth, the role the devilishly droll Tim Curry performed in the movie.
“Wadsworth is more of a straight man, who leads everyone through the house on the search for the murderer,” Canavan said.
“He (Wadsworth) is a kind of narrator, who has his own level of sharp savvy. He represents the player in the game, and he becomes mired the in the ensuing chaos,” Flynn added.
Canavan, who also performed in Deathtrap, said part of his challenge is to not lose the natural reaction to what the other actors are constantly throwing at him.
“I’m grateful to the rest of the cast to help me get the dynamics right, because there are so many highs and lows,” he added.
The opportunities for mayhem along with murder are manifold. And Flynn said the play adds a hefty dollop of humor to the standard trappings — the scary night, a forbidding mansion, secrets galore — of the mystery drama genre such as Deathtrap.
“Clue has a lot of 90-minute fun,” he added.
IF YOU GO: Clue will be presented this weekend and next (March 4-6 and March 11-13) at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center, 42 Delphine St., Owego. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m.; Sunday performances are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 (65 and over, $20; 11-17, $15). Reserve by calling 607-687-2130 or purchase by visiting www.tiahwaga.com.
