September 22, 2021
Story by Joe Vinduska
Photos by Brandon Steinert
WHO DONE IT?! No piece of pop-culture asks and answers this question better than the classic board game “Clue” and Barton Theatre will bring all the nostalgia to life with its production of “Clue, On Stage,” featuring multiple showings over two weekends in October. Ticket information can be found at shows.bartonccc.edu. The shows are being sponsored by MindSculpt Games and free Clue-related games will be given out at each show.
Theatre Director Miller James said he chose this production to entertain and appeal with a story that’s been told many times with many different endings in millions of households across the world for decades.
“I love the freshness of the show and the awesome willingness of the actors to take risks,” he said.” “I have played the board game since I was a kid, and I played it with my kids and yeah, I have my own strategy for trying to win that I’ve developed over the years. I think everybody can kind of relate to it in that way.”
Freshman Barton Student Eladio Luna plays Mr. Green and is ready to share the play with the world.
“It’s a fun and exciting show full of comedic moments and unexpected twists,” he said. “The audience members are really going to see all the hard work that the cast, crew, and everyone else involved has put into this production.”
Freshman Sara MacMahon said she was ready to push herself when she was cast for the show.
“I wanted to be in the show because I thought it would be a really fun experience and I knew the show would be funny and a new challenge,” she said. “This show is the first one back on a real stage since I moved schools and the pandemic started. It is very special because it just reminded me how much I love performing and being within the community of theatre.”
The show also includes community members like Aprille Ullerick who plays Mrs. Peacock.
“This show in general is just so funny!” she said. “Why not be a part of such an iconic game turned into a play? I'm really excited to be involved with it alongside my oldest daughter, Emery. She always adds another layer of fun when we get to do shows like this together!”
James said he’s been very focused on building the theatre program & is excited to see his students learn their craft.
“Six of the 12 cast members are theatre majors and it’s been amazing to watch them grow,” he said. “We have a relatively young cast for the most part. This year we launched a new Voice and Diction class that has certainly come in handy for the students and it has been a joy to watch them implement what they’ve learned in the classroom onstage in a real-life theatre situation and the Intro to Costume Design class has designed all the costumes.”
“Clue” the board game also spawned a movie and a Broadway show and James said even for those not familiar with the spin-offs or the game will enjoy this show.
“It’s fun, entertaining and fast paced at only 90 minutes,” he said. “We have veteran actors and amazing fresh talent, the set looks fantastic and we are just excited to be in front of an audience. You don’t want to miss this show. ‘Who done it?’ … just wait till you see the ending.”
For more information, contact James at millerj@bartonccc.edu (620) 792-9205.