F.A.C.T.: ?Don?t be CLUE-less?

As Fairfield Area Community Theatre prepares for its upcoming summer production of ?CLUE: The Musical,? a question could be posed, ?Do you have a CLUE??

The F.A.C.T. board wants no one to be ?CLUE ? less.?

Promotion and advertising a production is an important, behind-the-scenes aspect of a show. It includes everything from poster design and distribution to gimmicks and hooks to draw in an audience. Many of this year?s promotions were based on the game itself.

This year?s poster poses the cast of characters in a police line up. The first picture shows a front view while the second picture has the same pose, but with each character holding a possible weapon. Various board members distributed these.

Michael Gookin, a 2012 Fairfield High School graduate, took the photos and Natasha Chang, another 2012 graduate, designed the poster. These two have worked together in creating other posters for F.A.C.T. and for the FHS Drama Club. Their most recent collaboration was for FHS?s ?The Wizard of Oz.?

Chang furthered these design elements in postcards distributed across town at counters at banks, businesses and patrons. The card features the same pictures with the front view and back view. The 1,000 printed cards allow for pickup and take home advertising.

She then took the poster and also adapted it for use in black and white as well as in a smaller configuration for usage. She also took Gookin?s pictures and changed them in to facsimiles of the actual character cards used in the game. The cast members distributed these 250 cards during Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk. The cast includes: Jessica Ehrenfelt as Mrs. Peacock, Joe Phipps as Professor Plum, Emily Roth as Miss Scarlett, John Grunwald as Col. Mustard, Heidi Salmonson as Mrs. White and Fred Hucke as Mr. Green.

F.A.C.T. board member Lou Bolster created a mailbox for this year?s art association theme presentation. His creation features a mailbox being ?attacked? by all of the weapons used in the game: knife, candlestick, lead pipe, revolver, rope and wrench. It is on the east side of the square in Central Park.

And in keeping with the electronic age, much promotion has come through the F.A.C.T. board and cast members posting information, pictures, and posters on Facebook. Board member Heather Wiges has created a website to promote both F.A.C.T. itself and this show. Log into: www.wix.com/facttheatre/fact. This site not only gives information about F.A.C.T.?s show, but also the ability to sign up for F.A.C.T.?s Twitter account and for its Facebook page.

The Facebook page is under construction by board member David Owen. It will feature all the shows from the past year in preparation for F.A.C.T.?s 25th anniversary in 2014.

?Check in often and ?Friend? F.A.C.T.,? said Wiges and Owen.

Scott Holderbaum of FPAC created a interview documentary for the show which is currently being run on FPAC, Channel 9. Diana Flynn assisted him. All cast members and directors were interviewed along with scene and songs from the show.

Other traditional promotion is done through area newspapers and radio stations.

At the show itself, patrons may order character specialty drinks, either alcoholic or non-alcoholic. They will be able to keep their tumbler which will advertise the upcoming anniversary. And the pencils used to fill in the CLUE form to deduce the murderer may be kept as a souvenir, too.

Reserved tickets must be purchased for this show. Ticket are on sale at Josie Hannes Design/Flair Vintage Décor.

The dessert shows are Thursday with dessert at 7 p.m. and the show at 7:30 p.m.; June 17, dessert at 1:30 p.m. and the show at 2 p.m. The dessert is cheesecake and assorted toppings.

The dinner shows are June 15 and 16,with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 7:30 p.m. The dinner is vegetable lasagna and pork loin with assorted sides and the salad bar.

The house is open prior to show time for seating and drink ordering. The show is at the Walton Club. As F.A.C.T. prepares for this audience participation, comedy murder mystery, the board urges everyone to ?get a CLUE!?