Cappies: St. Patrick’s High School presents a ‘captivating’ production of Clue: On Stage

Published Apr 29, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 13 minute read

Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green, Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White, Amanda Mortel as Mrs. Peacock, Alyssa Jones as Miss Scarlet, Jamila Qasim as Wadsworth, Yafeat Temesgen as Yvette, Lucie Parenteau as the the Cook, Yami Workneh as Professor Plum, and Jerrylin Visperas as Colonel Mustard during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student

Show # 11

St. Patrick’s High School

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Clue: On Stage

Directors: Caitlin Dubé, Emily Edwards, Fadi-El Saikali, Christina Sangalli, and Pamela Williams

Chiara Frangione, Lead Critic
St. Pius X High School

Seven murder suspects, six dinner guests, five blood-curdling screams, four dinner courses, three guns, two plot twists, and one big classic “whodunit?” mystery. This mystery was brilliantly solved by St.Patrick’s High School’s cast and crew in their murderously captivating rendition of Clue: On Stage.

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Written by Sandy Rustin and based on the Paramount Pictures film, Clue: On Stage takes place on a stormy night in the 1950s at the eerie Boddy Manor. Six eccentric dinner guests, each with unsettling secrets, are invited to a ghastly dinner party where blackmail is on the menu. When Boddy, the host, threatens to expose their unethical pasts, gory chaos breaks loose and Boddy is found dead. All the guests must unravel the mystery and find the killer before the police arrive or they all suffer the same deadly fate.

A beautifully executed British accent and a sarcastic delivery of lines were given by Jamila Qasim in the lead role of Wadsworth, the butler. Through annoyed facial expressions, Qasim’s acting captured the characteristics of a villain in disguise; an inconspicuous loyal servant waiting to emerge from a secretive shell. Qasim was ironic and zany through overdramatized convulsions and terror-filled screams during the death scene. Through tone of voice and precise body expressions, Qasim brought elegance and charm to this role and maintained the integrity of the character’s uptight and formal demeanour.

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Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green, Amanda Mortel as Mrs. Peacock, Yami Workneh as Professor Plum, and Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student

The cast did a masterful job retaining the suspense with unison screams, shocked gasps, and terrified tone of voices which provided an immersive and diverse on-stage experience. Yami Workneh’s Professor Plum and Jerrylin Visperas’ Colonel Mustard filled the background with natural movement as they conversed and connected comfortably without drawing attention away from Wadsworth in the foreground. Lucie Parenteau exemplified true dedication to the role of Cook. Lifted and transported around the stage, Parenteau demonstrated incredible concentration and strength by remaining a limp and lifeless body. Hannah Barbe, who played the role of Cop, demonstrated ownership of their character and a fluidity of physical movement.

Sound, lighting, special effects, makeup/hair, costumes, props and sets were exemplary. The execution of layered tech generated vibrancy throughout the show. Depth and realism were created with flashing white lights as lightning effects and sound cues emulated crashing thunder. An ambitious 57 sound cues, 194 mic cues, and 111 lighting cues demonstrated the organization and precision of the Spotlight Schemers and Audio Alibi tech crews. Particularly notable, was the special F/X video made by the Mystery Mayhem Makers; a retro element that added charm and sophistication to the play. The mimicking of 1950s black and white cinematography styles, coupled with voice distortion audio, was reminiscent of the once popular 1950s radio and TV shows. Black and white makeup was impressively executed and properly accentuated the highlights and contours of Boddy’s face, highlighting the consistency of the black and white colour scheme. The skirt and accessories for Yvette were student-made, adding to the characterization of a sassy French maid. All 55 student-made props, including the infamous murder weapons and the chandelier, added realistic interest. The greyscale paintings were also artistic genius.

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Live music resonated throughout the play filling the stage with suspense. The student pit band, Jazzed Up Jury, delivered an entrancing and thrilling musical experience. The band had a beautiful clarity and tone and performed difficult music repertoire with professional musicianship.

Dinner guests, RSVP with caution! Entangled with comedy, mystery, and suspense, St. Patrick’s High School’s performance of Clue: On Stage delivered a murderous plate of entertainment.

Zaratamarun Uduoise, Critic
St. Francis Xavier High School

With murder on the menu one stormy night, St. Patrick’s High School visited the mysterious Boddy Manor in their remarkable performance of Clue: On Stage.

Adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, the play is inspired by the board game Clue. It follows the events that unfold in the manor when six mysterious guests arrive one night; all with colourful pseudonyms, and all with a secret they’d be willing to die, or kill, for. As the night goes on, body after body is discovered, and the guests are left wondering if anyone’s hands are truly clean.

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The performance put on by the students of St. Patrick’s High School was riveting and comedic. Every aspect brought the madness of the manor to the stage and set the characters firmly in the 1950’s. The actors portraying the main six brought the characters to life in their own ways, with subtle body language and lots of physical comedy.

Jamila Qasim played a particularly captivating Wadsworth. Qasim presented the butler as humorous and enigmatic, brimming with charisma when welcoming the guests, hiding bodies, or searching for the murderer. Wadsworth was the perfect balance in a cast of eccentric characters, and Jamila perfectly represented him as such. With strong physicality and a voice that took up the stage, Qasim made the butler a character to be remembered.

Amanda Mortel as Mrs. Peacock, Jerrylin Visperas as Colonel Mustard, and Catherine Bakker as the Chief of Police during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student

Mr. Green and Mrs. Peacock were just two of the colourful cast of characters. Dylan Fournier, who played Mr. Green, radiated the character’s nervous and excitable demeanour, and was consistent with it throughout the performance, even when silent. Amanda Mortel brought Mrs. Peacock to life on the stage, with wonderful facial and vocal emotion, fully embodying the extravagant, dramatic, and extremely opinionated senator’s wife.

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The technical aspects of this performance all contributed to the 50’s aesthetic. The costumes, crafted by the Disguise Designers, were all period-accurate. The hair and makeup done by the Retro Glam Squad served as a great characterization tool, as those outside the main cast were painted grey; devoid of colour to let the main six stand out. The lighting by the Spotlight Schemers was dynamic and fast-paced, and the choice to use white lights instead of amber ones set the mood. The Jazzed Up Jury performed live music, which consisted not only of complex jazz pieces but also sound cues like a repeating doorbell motif and a gong. The choreography done by Ariana Guerra-Nguyen was both hilarious and perfectly paced, with characters smoothly moving in and out of different rooms in quick succession. The sets themselves were beautifully built, painted in greyscale and mobile, so they could be used to set up different rooms in the Boddy Manor.

All in all, St. Patrick’s High School’s performance of Clue: On Stage was entertaining, humorous, and, at times, thought-provoking. Every design and characterization choice felt intentional and appropriate, and the cast and the crew worked together perfectly to bring the intricate dance of murder and mystery to the stage.

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Steffi Brinskelle, Critic
St. Pius X High School

Dead bodies in the lounge, police at the door, weapons in the safe, and a dinner party turned to chaos. If this raises questions, prepare for a killer time having them answered. St. Patrick’s High School’s dedicated performance of Clue: On Stage was just as much a mystery as it was a surprising comedy, with characters placed in absurd situations where everyone’s a suspect.

Based on the murder-mystery board game and 1985 film, Clue: On Stage follows six unique dinner guests gathered at a secluded mansion by their common blackmailer. After their host appears murdered and each of them has a weapon in their hands, the guests and the butler resolve to find out who killed him without being killed themselves. As the number of murders over the course of the night grows, characters ask the question with increasing desperation: Who can be trusted?

St. Patrick’s cast searched tirelessly for the answer to that question in their 1950s murder-mystery-styled production that the crew carefully brought to life. From an ominous opening credits projection to the complete vintage greyscale set to the live pit band’s tasteful music that emphasized the action on-stage, their evident attention to detail set the scene and allowed the six dinner guests’ colourful outfits and personalities to really stand out.

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Jamila Qasim excelled in the role of the mansion’s butler, Wadsworth. Maintaining an upright, professional posture while speaking in a classic accent, Qasim skillfully captured the character’s demeanour. Knowing smiles and effortlessly clever jokes helped create the sense that Wadsworth knows too much — except, that is, at the play’s unexpected ending when Qasim successfully switched to a tone of shock and adopted exaggerated body language to fit the character’s startling fate.

Yami Workneh as Professor Plum, Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green, Amanda Mortel as Mrs. Peacock, Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White, and Alyssa Jones as Miss Scarlet during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student

Of the characters, Mrs. Peacock (Amanda Mortel) stood out for her energy. With shrill screams over a potentially poisoned drink and anxious chatter reflecting Mrs. Peacock’s fearful nature, Mortel embraced the role with passion. Yami Workneh’s distinct depiction of Professor Plum’s arrogance was memorable. Workneh’s smug adjustment of the jacket in front of the others and leadership in examining Mr. Boddy’s corpse for a pulse effectively conveyed Professor Plum’s proud demeanour on stage.

The St. Patrick’s crew excelled at creating a captivating experience through the cohesive combination of multiple elements. The functional designs of Boddy Manor’s ten rooms allowed for seamless and impressive transitions as the cast hurried between various sections of the house. In one scene, Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard even step through a secret passage attached to a cleverly designed revolving section of the wall that turns into the lounge in real time as they pass. Well-timed sound effects including the boom of thunder and startling gunshots complemented the red flashes of light as each murder in the show took place. Spotlights following 61 lighting cues were executed flawlessly to follow the cast as they crossed the stage in a frenzy.

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Amid secret identities and murderers on the loose, St. Patrick’s High School’s humorous and entertaining performance shows that nobody lays all their cards on the table when the deck seems stacked against them. Perfectly capturing the comedic mystery in Boddy Manor with fantastic music, effective sets, and an unforgettable cast, this production of Clue: On Stage certainly hit its mark!

Veronica Petty, Critic
St. Pius X High School

Guests arrive. Doors lock. Windows are barred. Let the game commence. Six remarkably distinct characters, each hiding terribly sinful secrets, are eerily welcomed to dine by a mysterious Mr. Boddy. Until the unforeseen comes to fruition, the fear-stricken group is led into a whirlwind of fear and illogical accusations. Based on the multi-generationally beloved Hasbro board game and the 1985 motion picture, St. Patrick’s High School’s performance of Clue: On Stage was bound to be a killer.

Whodunit? Was it Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the knife? Or could it have been Mr. Plum in the study with the revolver? These are the idiosyncratic questions six oddball Washingtonians: seductive Miss Scarlet, arrogant Professor Plum, flamboyant Mrs. Peacock, sophisticated Mrs. White, timid Mr. Green, and simple-minded Colonel Mustard find themselves speculating. These six eccentric misfits and potential killers are all drawn to Boddy Mansion by false pretenses and fictitious circumstances. They quickly learn that the event is a sophisticated extortion scheme, carried out by none other than the illusive Mr. Boddy, their host. Mr. Boddy is discovered dead just as their darkest secrets are revealed. As the body count grows, and more individuals become sucked into the confusing, lethal web of the Boddy Mansion, the tension and dread intensify.

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Amanda Mortel as Mrs. Peacock, Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White, Jamila Qasim as Wadsworth, and Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Ali Binali /Student

From the moment the curtains pulled away to reveal the dramatic first scene, Jamila Qasim shone in the role of the seemingly trustful British butler, Wadsworth. Through skillful use of tone and pitch, Qasim perfectly embodied the eccentric personality of the 1950s butler. Alongside Wadsworth stood the six main players, each perfectly complementing the other’s styles and building off of one other’s emotions. One of these six main characters was Mr.Green, who was superbly played by Dylan Fournier. As the clumsy Mr. Green, Fournier put on a lively show, showing extraordinary talent by using actions for comedy.

A huge part of the game of Clue is the things that occur behind the scenes, and the crew at St. Patrick’s certainly did not disappoint. With nine distinct rooms, each with its own design, yet made out of the same set pieces, the self-proclaimed “Design Detectives” took creativity and originality to the next level. Alongside the “Design Detectives” worked the “Spotlight Schemers,” who worked tirelessly to perfect 111 lighting cues, delivering them on time seamlessly and with ease.

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The cast and crew at St. Patrick’s smashed all expectations of what a murder mystery could be, resulting in a murderously chilling, cunning and surprisingly hilarious performance. So think twice before accepting your next dinner invitation, for you never know what fate could be lying before you.

Matilde Pereira-Duarte, Critic
Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School

From the board game to a stage, Clue: On Stage, presented by the drama club of St. Patrick’s High School, demonstrated how a murder mystery can also have its comedic side.

Clue: On Stage is the story of a series of murders that occur in the Boddy Mansion around the year 1950. The dinner guests, who have been invited to the mansion for dinner and a mysterious game, then need to solve the murder mystery before the police show up. With a murderer on the loose, the guests use teamwork while also questioning each other’s true intentions, to try to save their own lives while figuring out the truth about the bodies found.

The students of St. Patrick’s Drama Club exhibited this beautifully, with natural interactions between the characters, there was no dull moment throughout the play. With the inclusion of a pit band “The Witnesses”, special effects such as a trailer with the credits to the show done by the “ Mystery Mayhem Makers”, and handmade props such as a cardboard chandelier, which were made by the “Weapon Workshop”, the originality didn’t cease.

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The hosts of the dinner, the butler, Wadsworth (Jamila Qasmin), and the maid, Yvette (Yafeat Tamesgen) delivered great comedic relief while keeping composure and professionality whilst holding accents during the play. Qasmin embodied the character fully, along with Wadsworth’s communication with the other characters, the comedic timing was fantastic as it made the interactions realistic and very natural. Likewise, Tamesgen played a great role with Yvette, who had such natural mannerisms and great flow with the rest of the cast.

Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White, Jamila Qasim as Wadsworth, Alyssa Jones as Miss Scarlet, Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green, and Jerrylin Visperas as Colonel Mustard during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Ali Binali /Student

The dinner guests, Colonel Mustard (Jerrylin Visperas), Mrs. White (Arianna Guerra-Nguyen), Mrs. Peacock (Amanda Mortel), Mr. Green (Dylan Fournier), Professor Plum (Yami Workneh), and last but certainly not least, Miss Scarlet (Alyssa Jones) all played great roles. Watching the dinner guests was certainly most entertaining and the group had the audience laughing on various occasions. The “Scooby-Doo Madness” tango scene, choreographed by Mrs.White was extremely intricate and the actors did wonderfully. They lit up the room with a great amount of puns and sarcastic remarks between characters.

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The lighting, done by the “Spotlight Schemers” was splendid. The crew got the most out of using different types of lighting, such as two spotlights and various filters such as black light and a sudden flash of red whenever there was a new murder were used to emphasize the actors on stage. Likewise, the sets, created by the “Design Detectives” complemented the play amazingly, with the use of grayscale to highlight the important things.

The costumes, made by the “Disguise Designers”, were all in some way modified to fit the 50’s traditional clothing style. Fully handmade pieces such as Mr. Green’s knitted vest and Yvette’s fluffy tulle skirt were also done from scratch by the students in charge of the outfits. Along with costumes, hair and makeup were done by the “Retro Glam Squad” which showed classical looks that are accurate to when the play is set.

Overall, St.Patrick’s High School Drama Club did a great job showcasing the on-stage adaptation of the classical game we all grew up playing. With skilled performances from the cast who showed there can be a comedic side to solving a murder mystery, the dedication of everyone involved was beyond doubt exceptional.

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Jamila Qasim as Wadsworth and Ariana Guerra-Nguyen as Mrs. White during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student Jamila Qasim as Wadsworth, Dylan Fournier as Mr. Green, Jerrylin Visperas as Colonel Mustard, and Alyssa Jones as Miss Scarlet during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student The Dinner Guests during St. Patrick’s High School’s Cappies production of Clue: On Stage on April 12, 2024. Photo by Gherard Rodriguez-Mosquera /Student

About the reviews:

The St. Patrick’s High School production was reviewed by 35 critics representing 6 schools. The critic discussions were mentored by teacher Electra Hatzopoulos of A.Y. Jackson Secondary School and student reviews were edited and selected for publication by teacher Joseph Spencer of Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School, who could see only the reviews, not the names or schools of the reviewers.

Next review: Philemon Wright High School’s production of Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

About the Cappies:

The Citizen and 21 high schools are participating in the Cappies, a Washington, D.C.based program that uses high school critics to review high school theatre. The program is a unique partnership between the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Two schools from other boards in the region and one private school have also joined. The four winners of the lead acting categories will receive a bursary provided by the international law firm Gowling WLG Canada LLP. Follow Canada’s Capital Cappies on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram @OttawaCappies.

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