A new performance is being put on at South through the South High theater program. The performance is the comedic murder mystery CLUE. South can expect to see this performance on December 12th, 13th, and 14th all at 7pm, an additional school performance in the 5th and 6th hour of school on the 12th. CLUE is a show about 6 guests at an evening gathering, who all have a massive secret that they are hiding from the others, with each character leaving an impact on the outcome of the play itself. The directors, Bri Salhus and Miller Sterling, are anxious to continue the rehearsal period. Salhus showing excitement for “The experiences and memories that are being made.”
CLUE is an exciting, fun show that is focused on a lot of practical humor, as well as funny dialogue interactions between the main 6 guests. CLUE is about a dinner party where each guest has a secret motive that creates conflict between the guests. Henry Grogan, a Senior who is playing Professor Plum in the performance, says “It’s a very fast pace, action filled play with lots of body comedy and stand up [humor].”
CLUE was decided as the play for this winter according to Salhus “Because the kids wanted to do it, it’s a fun show, and because much like [last year’s production of] Footloose you can put [any kind of person] in a role.” This freedom has also allowed everyone who was at rehearsal to get a role in the CLUE performance, with 23 actors and around 40 students total a part of the entire production when including everyone involved in tech along with the actors.
With CLUE recently starting its production, there are many challenges that the students and directors have to overcome while developing their own spin on CLUE. The directors are currently developing how they want to implement the existing characters into the students, assuring that while the characters are still the same at their core, student’s individualism is still shown when performing. There are also many moving parts as there are multiple rooms with different set pieces that are constantly changing.
The students involved with the play are showing excitement around many different aspects surrounding the production and the performance. Emma Greene, a freshman understudy and part of tech, said “I’m excited for acting, if I get [the chance] to act in it [and] learning more about tech.” Grogan also mentioned his excitement for the choreography in the performance, saying “It’s a very fast paced, body comedy play… there’s a lot of moving props and sets…[Its] Like a well oiled machine, or a clock with all the cogs working together.”
Many students who have joined the performance share a similar reason behind why they choose to pursue the South High Theater: a general love for theater as a whole. Many students have been a part of previous performances, at South, another school, or even performance companies outside of school. Many students agree that they would likely be there regardless of what the performance is, because of their passion for theater. Greene highlights another reason why students join theater, saying “It’s a new way to express yourself and find what interests you and meet new people.”
The individual experience that is given in the theater program allows for great personal development in both skills inside theater and out. Duncan Headley is a senior who is heavily involved in the lighting design for South performances. Headley has been involved with the theater program at South since his first introduction to the program during his freshman year when he helped make the set for Once On This Island. Since then, he has greatly improved his work in tech, as well as learned how to become a supportive member of the tech crew that people can rely on.
There is a massive lack of recognition for the students involved in tech, which is a shared sentiment across the entire theater program at South. Most if not all of the students in the theater program at South contribute to some part of tech, with a large number of students only working on tech for CLUE and past performances. Headley feels as though tech is “Where everything else comes into play, letting [the audience] see [the performance], letting [the audience] hear [the performance].” Tech is the reason actors are able to perform. The tech crew creates immersion with the audience, manages set and costume design, syncs the lights, and runs all of the behind the scenes during a performance.
The upcoming performance of CLUE highlights the amount of passion and effort within the theater program at South.The South High Theater is a crucial part of the community of the school. The people involved with the performances at South, often participate for multiple years, because the theater program at South means so much to them. People showing up to these performances this December greatly benefits the quality of future productions, as well as allowing for everyone who is putting in the months of effort to get the appreciation that they deserve.
