The company of the North American tour of “Clue.” (Courtesy of Evan Zimmerman / MurphyMade)

Through Broadway in Santa Barbara, the American Theatre Guild performed “Clue” on Nov. 26 and 27 at the Granada Theatre, bringing to life the classic Hasbro board game “Clue.” 

According to their website, the American Theatre Guild describes themselves as a “not-for-profit, tax-exempt, civic performing arts organization dedicated to providing the experience of live theatre to foster passion, inspire creativity and empower students and under-served community members.” The guild offers multiple shows every season, with this season hosting five different productions from November to May. 

The story of the Broadway production of “Clue” was based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures film adaptation of the board game, utilizing characters from the well-known game to create a proper story. The plot, set in 1954, follows the main playable characters from the board game — Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green and Miss Scarlett — at a dinner party. The story also adds a butler named Wadsworth, a maid named Yvette, the owner of the mansion, Mr. Boddy and other supporting characters. 

Leading up to the start of the show, excitement filled the room as people discussed their thoughts on what was to come. Many conversations centered around the 1985 film, trying to recall what exactly happened and naming off positive experiences with viewing the movie in hopes for a similar experience in the play adaptation. Once the music played and the curtain began to rise, people quickly silenced their conversations, both in excitement and respect for the art of theatre performance. 

Throughout the story, the audience watched the supporting characters, all while the remaining cast tried to figure out the mystery and prove their innocence, as they’re all there based on blackmail for their own crimes. 

The heart and soul of this performance was truly found within the actors and actresses. During the entire runtime, the body language and the ways each actor portrayed their character truly drew in the audience, allowing for laughter to be heard amongst the crowd throughout the show. All the characters had quite different personalities, examples being the sassy vibe of Miss Scarlett, played by Christina Anthony, contrasting with the serious yet rather dumb personality of Colonel Mustard, played by John Treacy Egan. This only added to the comedic aspect of the show, as watching completely wild people interact brought on some quite amusing scenes. 

Courtesy of Evan Zimmerman / MurphyMade

Mr. Green, played by John Shartzer, was easily an audience favorite and a highlight to the cast. His particular body movement added to his humor, as he portrayed an anxious man who turned out not to be so much as he seemed. He also provided his own spark and sass, bringing constant laughter to the audience.

Keeping in style with the original board game, the Granada Theatre’s stage was transformed into Boddy Mansion, including different rooms coming out from the sides of the stage, backdrops and a variety of furniture fitted for each room. Scenic Designer Lee Savage was able to execute ever-changing scenery in an effective way that kept the audience entertained. 

Every instance of the actors utilizing the interactive stage, as well as using the props, was phenomenal. The awareness of space by each of the actors held true to how people would actually interact with different aspects of a building. The way they “traveled” between rooms by sneaking across the stages, each character having their own flair to their walk, always caused laughter to spread across the theatre. The actors always seemed to hit their intended comedic effects well, exaggerating interactions between characters and body movement enough that it still flowed well, making the play feel more in line with reality. 

With the added use of visual effects, audio cues and a variety of sound effects only added to the overall experience and excitement of what was to happen next. Utilization of comedically-timed surprises and differences to the lighting, many corresponding with the character’s interactions with each other, further supplemented the enjoyment of the show. Led by Lighting Designer Ryan O’Gara, Sound Designer Jeff Human and Composer and Music Supervisor Michael Holland, the crew was able to utilize audio and lighting perfectly for the show. 

The costumes, hair and makeup also add to the overall enjoyability, as each character had their own specific silhouette and style. Basing the outfits and design on each character’s personalities, the show has a wide variety of outfits to showcase, ranging from a colonel uniform to a beautiful silky gown. Created by Costume Designer Jen Caprio and Hair, Wig and Makeup Designer J. Jared Janas, the designs fit well into the setting of the story and allowed for easy identification of each character. 

Shartzer and Tari Kelly in the North American tour of “Clue.” (Courtesy of Evan Zimmerman / MurphyMade)

The American Theatre Guild’s performance of “Clue” was not only a wonderful spark to the 2024-25 season of Broadway in Santa Barbara, but also provided a great comedic show, bringing people of all ages together for a good laugh.