Classic whodunnit play modeled after popular board game and movie
By Grayson Banning
LURAY — Who could the killer be? Could it be Mrs. Scarlett, or perhaps Professor Plum? Well, find out this weekend at Trackside Theater.
The upcoming Trackside production is based on the popular Hasbro board game and Paramount motion picture “Clue” (1985), and is set in Boddy Manor. Mr. Boddy invites six strangers to his home for a dinner party. He knows their darkest secrets and has set out to blackmail them. When everyone arrives, each person is given a weapon, and then suddenly — the lights go out. When the illumination returns, Mr. Boddy is dead.
It is then the responsibility of the cast members to figure out “whodunnit” — and in what room, and with what weapon.
“When a theater troupe does the production of a play, they can put their own spin on some things,” said Alison Coltrane, secretary for Trackside’s board of directors.
The uniqueness of this play doesn’t show in altering the script. Instead, the actors have free will to make the characters their own. Performances can look different, but the storyline will always stay the same.
The preparation for this production started back at the end of May and in early June with auditions. From there, rehearsals began in June with two rehearsals per week all the way up to the week before the opening. The week before opening night is called “tech week” — otherwise known to the production crew and actors as “hell week.” Tech week is a period of time in which all members of the play are working to smooth out any last-minute kinks.
Trackside Theater is a non-profit organization supported by the community and its patrons. Starting out in 2008 as Blue Ridge Youth Theater, it has offered acting classes and showcases at Luray Middle School. In 2012, the organization moved to its current location and has been providing entertainment for the Page Valley community ever since.
The actors in “Clue” are mostly local to the Page County area with a few from out of the county. There will be a blend of familiar faces and new talent taking the stage. The production is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rush. Additional material is provided by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Original music by Michael Holland.
“Clue” opens at Trackside Theater in Downtown Luray at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. It runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next two weeks, with Friday and Saturday productions starting at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students.
For more information about Trackside Theater, CLICK HERE.
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