Urban look out! Starting on Tuesday, November 8, Urban will be putting on a production of “Clue: The Highschool Edition” based on the movie, “Clue: The Movie”  which is based on the board game. Students in Urban’s Advanced Theater class have been rehearsing and practicing since the beginning of the term, and their 11 weeks of hard work will be on display culminating in this production. 

The story of “Clue” revolves around six high-society figures in Washington, D.C., all of whom are being blackmailed. They arrive at an isolated mansion to meet their blackmailer. Soon after they meet, the blackmailer is killed, and the plot follows these characters as they try to find the culprit — one of which is among them.

Maya Herbsman, the theater teacher and director, said “I was toying with a bunch of different options picking the play this year. I always like to get the students’ input on the play selection and [they] were really, really interested in murder mysteries.” 

What really mattered to the students was that “Clue” is fun. While dramatic plays are meant to make the audience reel with emotion, theater is also about releasing yourself from the stress of the world, which was a huge part of the appeal of “Clue.” 

“With how difficult the last few years have been, I just find I don’t have the capacity to watch dramas as much in the way that I used to. I want the audience to go home feeling happy,” said Herbsman. Through the struggles of COVID-19, virtual school and various socio-political movements, Herbsman thinks a light-hearted muder-mystery is just what the Urban community needs.  

Despite “Clue” being a classic, Urban’s theater class has found a way to put their own unique spin on it through incorporating a framing device: the play opens with the actors playing a game of Clue, and the play itself is the story that they’re telling. “It feels really connected to Dungeons and Dragons,” Herbsman said, “sort of like a live action role playing that I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring, and that feels sort of unique to us.” 

“The cast is amazing,” said Katherine Klein ‘23, “our cast song is Country Girl Shake it for me. The process has been super fun and it’s just a really really, really fun experience.” The actors have put in lots of work for the play, and the class has put in upwards of 100 hours of work. 

“I think of it as almost a sport and a class combined,” said Herbsman, “it’s a ton of work, but also a ton of fun.” Fall production is way more work than an average UAS class, which makes it all the more worth it to go see “Clue”. 

“We build a really special community and production. And the cast is really awesome,” said Herbsman. 

“Clue” Cast

Eliot Solomon – Mrs. Peacock 

Siela Brunello – Colonel Mustard 

Viva Wertz – Plum 

Aidan Somaini – Yvette 

Eamon Matthew – Cook/Motorist/Singing Telegram/Kid/Others

Katherine Klein – Wadsworth 

Zia DiFrancesco – Mrs. White 

Christopher Tawadrous – Mr. Boddy/Cop/Kid/Others

Char Shepherd – Green

Minna Lezak – Ms. Scarlet