By: Ainsley Northrop

With stellar performances between Oct. 26 and 28, Los Gatos High School students took to the Prentiss Brown Auditorium stage to present the 2023 fall play Clue. In stark contrast to some of the more serious plays that the LGHS Drama Department has presented over the past years, Clue was an engaging and mysterious comedy, leaving the audience laughing and begging for more. 

Directed by drama and English teacher Janna Rigby and student-directed by Sydney Bacheller, Clue featured performers ranging from freshmen to seniors. After auditions, students got to work rehearsing, with just short of two months to pull the show together. Senior Anthony Pace, who played the role of Wadsworth, described the rehearsal process, saying, “I was in rehearsal every day because me and a lot of other people [were] in the whole show. We kept putting the scenes together piece by piece…we practiced every weekday…And towards the end, getting the sets built in time and having the appropriate placement for them was [a challenge].”

Inspired by the popular board game, the play followed the plot of seven possible murderers after an unusual dinner party at a mansion. Prompted by the mysterious murder of Mr. Boddy, the host of the party, these classic characters took on the task of determining who among them was a murderer and who was innocent. Throughout the play, the audience attempted to solve the mystery, deciphering various clues and determining which characters they could trust. As more people mysteriously wound up dead, the characters erupted into madness. After a wild blame game between the characters, Wadsworth, the seemingly innocent butler, revealed that he himself was Mr. Boddy, explaining that faking his death was an elaborate plan to gather evidence against each of his guests for murder and fraud. 

Describing his creative process of portraying the deceptive Wadsworth, Pace explained, “I first tried to act like a typical textbook butler with a British accent, kind of neat and accommodating towards the guests, and then I had to act helpless the entire time. I tried to not act controlling as to make myself look like some sort of threat or like a main suspect.”

Aside from the fun castmates had while performing, the students also created meaningful bonds throughout the rehearsal process and backstage. Pace detailed, “So many of [my castmates] are amazing people. It kind of feels like we’re all in the same boat when everyone is at rehearsal every day, learning something new. And then I guess without a day to spare, it’s really easy to bond with the people you’re next to for hours a day.” 

The fall play proved to be an immense success, bringing students together and thrilling the audience. Be sure to support your theatrical Wildcats as they take to the stage in upcoming productions.