The lights are off, a body rapidly drops to the floor, and the audience gasps wondering, “Who did it?” On May 9th and 10th, the adaptation of the movie, “Clue”, was performed featuring a cast made up of Francis Lewis High School students. There were various distinct roles, clever transitions, and spectacular use of the lights to convey the scenes. The performance brought emotional suspense and thrilling entertainment to the audience.
“Clue was such a fun show to work on, but also, there were so many challenges for us. Like, chandeliers dropping out of the sky, hidden passages, multiple rooms, tons of props,” Ms. Contino, director and producer of FLHS’s Clue said. “It was a lot of challenges, but that’s part of the fun. The creative process was great, brainstorming, and working with the kids also like asking for their ideas and it was just a super fun process.”
Behind the scenes had its fair share of ups and downs; the set and backdrops took thought and effort to put together, and a week before the show, some actors still hadn’t fully memorized all of their lines. However, the cast emphasizes on the brighter moments of rehearsals and practices.
“Rehearsals for me were always changing, at the beginning, it was very hectic because we didn’t have the props set up like we would use trees as examples for where the doors would be,” said Junayed Ridwan, who played Wadsworth on both Thursday and Friday night’s performance. “And that was very odd to experience but as time went on and the rehearsals just got better and better and better, it really felt like whatever you were working on was starting to come together, and rehearsals felt more enjoyable as time went on.”
Throughout the cast’s journey rehearsing for Clue, some of the members such as the actor who played the role of Mr. Green, Gurtej Singh, had expressed a bittersweet goodbye for many of the seniors who had experienced their last farewell on stage. Despite this emotional rollercoaster he has felt, Singh has reflected upon the many enjoyable moments with the other cast members.
“Rehearsals and practices were genuinely amazing, I met so many cool people that are all my friends now,” Singh said. “I’m so sad the seniors are leaving, that’s been getting me emotional for days. Practice with the Clue cast and crew specifically was so entertaining because there was always something stupid happening like Colonel Mustard, Oscar, being such an interesting character, or Eleni and Alecia, Mrs. Peacock and Miss Scarlet, teaching me how to do a cartwheel.”
On Thursday and Friday nights, different actors were used for the female roles in Clue. On Thursday night, Thea Boumakis starred as Mrs.White, Brianna da Luz Sousa as Mrs. Peacock, and Isabella Lyn-Shue as Miss Scarlett. The following night, Danielle Kemmett, Eleni Tsikitas, and Alecia LaRussa, performed as Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, and Miss Scarlett, respectively.
“I definitely thought it was interesting during rehearsals because, like the way that we did our show, we had two different casts for the girls,” said Eleni Tsikitas, who played Mrs. Peacock on Friday night’s performance. “So, it was really interesting like learning how to work with another person and like taking mannerisms from them, or like helping them learn their lines because you’re saying the same thing. And it was obviously fun like it always is, but it was a different way to grow and experience theater.”
After the final performance of Clue, Ms. Contino reminisced about the moments she has had with the actors. She expressed appreciation towards the cast and crew.
“I could not be prouder of them, I thought the show was smooth and so seamless,” Ms. Contino exclaimed. “Honestly, they made it look easy. Like if you were watching them on stage, even those long monologues they had to do and stuff, like the butler at the end, and Mr. Green at the end with the confessions, and the evidence and whatever. It took them forever to learn those lines. It was just so much, but it looked like it just rolled out of their mouths.”
Audience members agree, saying that they found the final performance impressive, and very well put together. Thomas Cassidy, a student at Francis Lewis High School, highly enjoyed the movie version of Clue and was very impressed when he watched Francis Lewis High School’s take on the play.
“It was great, it was wonderful! I know high school productions are kind of assumed to be lesser in a way, but I wouldn’t say that at all,” Cassidy said. “I think they pulled it off fantastically, and for what it was, it was incredibly enjoyable.”
This year’s cast for Clue has elicited passion and determination by bringing out their designated personas. Singh discussed the many expressive emotions he has experienced when on stage, stating it was not easy with many obstacles he faced.
“I’m supposed to be anxious, nervous, and that is genuinely what I felt as soon as I walked onto the stage because there were so many faces, so many lights staring at me, ” Singh explained. “And, so I feel like that’s what helped me ‘lock into my character’ as Ms. Contino would say, and just be who I had to be. And I feel like with the presence of the audience, I could act as Mr. Green so much better than any rehearsal or practice would allow me to be and I think it went really well.”
Audience members further comment on their experience during the show. Aiden Lee, a student at Francis Lewis, commends the actors for their exceptional performance and expresses approbation for the plot and choreography of the play.
“There were so many twists and turns that happened near the end,” Lee said. “I felt it was amazing, the characters delivered their lines with passion, with substance, and it was overall, wow!”
Alongside Singh, Tsikitas concurs with the belief that there are various advantages to being associated with theater. She elaborates on the many factors that have contributed to her experience being worthwhile and unique such as the interactions and sharing common achievements with others.
“Theater gives you a place to be with other people, constantly being with other people who have the same goal as you do,” Tsikitas said. “Yeah, it’s just an interesting way to express yourself. It puts you out of your comfort zone and makes you able to connect with people.”
This was Ms. Contino’s last year of directing the school play. She has been directing school performances for over 20 years. She explained the key components that contributed to what made her career so fulfilling and enjoyable.
“The most important thing and the most valuable thing to me is the relationships that I’m able to build with the students. Especially, outside of the classroom, you know I love my students in class, and we get great relationships and great reports in the room. But there’s something different where you’re working together on a project that everybody cares about. And you then get to see it through from beginning to end, and just see their faces and how proud they were.”
Singh echoed Ms. Contino’s thoughts, and reflected on how acting impacted him as a person. Singh emphasizes the unforgettable experiences and fulfillment the show brought him. When acting as a different character from his own, Singh discovered that acting is both “impactful” and “meaningful.”
“I think acting is really fulfilling and fun to do,” said Singh. “It can help people express themselves. It’s one of the most impactful things one can actually do and I think it’s one of the most meaningful forms of art and expression.”
Singh even brought his character to life outside of the theater, with the goal to embrace the character he was taking on. He explains that the idea of acting can bring out different sides of an individual.
“During my role as Mr. Green, I was so dedicated to my character that I actually dressed up in school casually, and everyone looked at me really dumb but it was fun regardless,” said Singh. “When you’re acting you genuinely feel like you are the character you are trying to be and you can just be an entirely new persona and experience life in an entirely new way.”
Wrapping up the theatrical extravaganza of Clue this 2024, Ms. Contino would like to share a thoughtful message with the cast. With Ms. Contino’s immense contribution, time, and effort put into the show made a tremendous difference in the play community. The inspirational yet heartfelt connections formed between the director and her cast and crew are memorable for all to acknowledge.
“If I could just send a message to this year’s cast: You’re amazing. They’re just awesome, the cast and crew,” Ms. Contino said. “They should just be so proud of themselves and continue to do what they love because when you do something you love, you do it well just naturally and it never feels like a burden. So I would just ask them to do that.”
