After a long week of school, what’s a better way to relax and have some fun than to see Pentucket’s upcoming play?
If you don’t know much about it—don’t worry—this article will tell you everything you need to know.
What’s Going On?
The Pentucket theater department is getting ready to perform their annual fall play. This year’s production is Clue. The dates for the show are October 25 and 26, as well as November 1 and 2.
For those that don’t know much about Clue itself, it is a comedic murder mystery based on the 1985 movie. The movie is based on the popular board game that many are familiar with.
Ms. Snow, director of the play, was asked how the idea to do Clue came up. She replied, “It’s a really popular play in other high schools, and I thought we had the perfect kids for it. We did very heavy musicals like Les Mis in the past, but this is [the] complete opposite, so it’s a challenge for the actors.”
The Black Box Theater
However, more than the genre of the play, what’s different about this production is that it’s taking place in the black box theater. This means it isn’t in the large auditorium, instead it is in a smaller room with the cast performing in the middle of the room. Ms. Snow commented on it, saying, “There is an audience on all four sides.”
Senior Maddy Shikes, an actress in the show, shared her opinion on having the play in the black box theater: “It’s more personal; It feels like [the audience] is right there with you.”
Yet senior Nina Gordon, another actress in the show, addressed some of the challenges of the black box theater style. She said, “It’s a challenge but it’s a good challenge. You try to block [the audience’s] view as little as possible, but [at the same time] all four sides see something different. It can be interesting from different angles.”
While this may seem confusing to manage, there are other factors to consider, such as the limited space in the black box theater. Ms. Snow elaborated on this: “It is a lot more challenging to direct in a smaller space, but it keeps me on my toes and I’m able to problem solve.”
Double Cast
One thing that’s exciting for this show is the fact that Clue is double-casted. While the show is the same, they have different actors for each role.
“The two casts have different styles,” said Shikes. “There is no one way to do a scene.”
What do you need to know about the double-cast? Gordon explained, “So there’s a Plum cast and a Scarlet cast. Ms. Snow designed them and told us that the casts were picked on purpose to be completely different.”
The Scarlet cast will be performing on October 25 at 7 PM, October 26 at 2 PM, and November 2 at 7 PM (which is already sold out)!
Meanwhile, the Plum cast will be performing on October 26 at 7 PM, November 1 at 7 PM, and November 2 at 2 PM.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve done a double-casted production,” said senior Teagan Hines. “One thing that is different is that there will be a projection of the game board on the floor. As the characters move to different rooms, the projection will change so that it looks like they are moving. [It’s] as if they were playing the board game in real time.”
Final Words
Clearly, there’s a lot going on regarding the play. The theater department has put in the work and they are ready to share what they have been preparing for.
If you’re still not convinced, here are some final words from a few of the actors:
“An immersive, humorous experience awaits [the audience] in the black box,” said sophomore Fiona Moore.
“We all put a lot of work into [the play] and it’s [going to] be a really fun experience,” said sophomore Brooke Pipan.
“It’s so interactive and intimate that you feel like you’re there with the characters. You’re [going to] be shocked and you’re [going to] be laughing,” said sophomore Thea Scata.
Lastly, senior Anna Newman added, “It’s really cool to see the board game in real life.”
If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, what are you waiting for?
Visit prsd.ludus.com to purchase your ticket and get ready to sit back, relax, laugh, and enjoy the show!
