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‘Clue’ challenges student actors
‘They’re having a good time,’ director says
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MARENGO — Though the main actors in the Iowa Valley fall play have a lot of lines and almost no time to take a breather off stage, they’re enjoying rehearsals for the well-known, comedic play “Clue,” the high school edition, their director, Brooke Ness, said last week.
The students wanted to perform a comedy, said Ness. “Clue” fits the bill.
“It’s a hilarious show, and the kids wanted to do something people had heard of,” said Ness. Last year’s play, “The Last Day of School,” isn’t familiar to most people, she said.
“Clue” will open Friday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Iowa Valley High School auditorium, 359 E. Hilton St. in Marengo. Additional performances are set for Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m.
Still holding scripts, and acting without props or sets, Iowa Valley students became characters from the Parker Brothers’ game and additional characters created for the play during a rehearsal Oct. 29.
Jasmine Slaymaker, student director, filled in for Miss Scarlet who was at an FFA Convention. The main cast is pretty much the same seven actors on stage wall the time, said Ness, but getting them all together is difficult because they are involved in other activities as well.
“But that also means they’re familiar with the entire script because they have to stand in for each other,” said Ness. “They work really well together.”
The cast acted on a bare stage last week. “The set is not dry,” said Ness. She complemented cast members for their performances without props or a set to play off of.
The students practice mornings and evenings. Ness said they’d be off-book (practicing without scripts) after Oct. 31, and then they’d have two weeks to show time.
“They’re having a good time,” Ness said. “A whole bunch of them are here to be dead bodies.”
Hayden Kanke is Mr. Green in this year’s play. The junior has been in five school plays in junior high and high school, he said.
“Clue” is different, said Kanke because he’s on stage most of the time. In last year’s play, Kanke was in only one scene and had about 30 lines. For “Clue” he has to remember about 115 lines.
“I think it’s funny,” said Kanke of the play. “Hopefully the audience will laugh.”
Kena Purk, a senior, plays the French maid. She’s performed in every school play since she entered junior high.
Purk’s favorite role was in was in eighth grade when she played a villain in “Who Killed Elvis?” That play was also a comedy, and Purk remembers getting smacked in the face for a laugh.
Josh Read was Elvis in that play. He takes on the role of Professor Plum in “Clue.”
Read has been in most of the school plays during junior high and high school and performed with Old Creamery Theatre, he said. “I was in a musical when I was younger.”
The formatting for “Clue” is different from for other plays he’s done,“ said Read. “We’re on stage all the time,” and everyone has a lot of lines.
Read thinks he delivers about 130 lines during the play, but, that’s not a problem, Read said, because he’s a senior this year and he’s learned not to procrastinate.
“I feel most of us are on pace,” Read said.
Ayden Wagner, a sophomore, plays a motorist who gets killed. “I like just getting out and doing things,” said Wagner. He especially likes improvisation, which he competes in during speech contests, he said.
Gavin Johnson plays Wadsworth, a traditional British butler and the driving force in “Clue.”
Michaela Schachtlie plays Miss Scarlet, a sardonic D.C. madam. Delaney Stubblefield is Mrs. Peacock, the batty, neurotic, church-going wife of a senator.
Mrs. White, a pale, morbid, tragic woman with five ex-husbands is played by Matigan Pritchard, and the pompous, dense Colonel Mustard is played by Payton Carroll.
Brody Hudepohl plays the cook; Laurel Stubblefield delivers the singing telegram; Mason McKustker is Mr. Boddy, a mobster-type fellow; and Ashton Mattison is the police chief.
Rounding out the cast are Hannah Smolik; Sherra Bonnichsen, Calvin Gingerich, Lorelai Wagner, Patrick Peach, Derek Sherman, Jackie Smith, Kyliegh Crawford, Emily Compton, Caleb Huber, Caden Smith, Derek Bral, Dallas Sherman and Kathryn Kilgard.
Shayla Helgeson and Jasmine Slaymaker are student directors.
