Fans of the movie “Clue” will appreciate the Albright Community Theatre’s new take on the old classic.
Directed by Nick Schaeffler of West Dundee, “Clue” will be staged Oct. 6-21 at the theater’s space on the third floor of the Batavia government building.Performances are at 7:30 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 15
“This script is based off the 1985 movie, so you’re going to get a lot of similar beats, a lot of similar moments you might remember from the film and also you’ll get some new stuff, too,” he said.
“Clue” takes place in the 1950s in a large, mysterious mansion. Six eclectic guests arrive, who all go by pseudonyms, for a dinner party. When the host turns up dead, everyone becomes a suspect. Soon it’s a race to find the killer. Albright president J.P. Quirk of South Elgin stars as Wadsworth the butler, the role made famous by Tim Curry.
“There are high jinks and lots of physical comedy,” Schaeffler said.
Schaeffler wasn’t as much of a fan of the film as many who auditioned for him were, he said. He thinks this gives him a fresh perspective on directing, he said, “I definitely watched it because it is a very iconic movie and I think it has a lot of really famous moments that we wanted to have a little wink and a nod for the audience,” he said.
Directing a live version of such an iconic movie was a fine line to walk, he said.
“Every director wants to put their stamp on it in some way while also making sure the audience is getting the experience that they’re looking for,” he said. “You make sure it fits the tone of the show and it fits the setting and the characters. You make sure you’re not indulging yourself but rather you’re creating less of a new work and more of an addition to an already iconic piece of art that exists.”
His cast is doing well, he said. They immediately understood the tone he was going for.
“They walk a really great line of taking themselves seriously and making sure they punch the jokes while also being physical and weird and eclectic and making it fit in with the tone and who they are as characters,” he said. “They’ve done a wonderful job of walking that line.”
“Clue” is hilarious with humor that anyone can appreciate, he said.
“I think you’re going to laugh at this show. I also think audiences are going to enjoy how we’re doing it, our production of it,” he said. “I think we’re doing some interesting things with the set. This is one of the more mechanically interesting sets that we’ve had. Without giving too much away, we’ve got some more moving set pieces.
“With ‘Clue,’ we wanted to make sure we did it right. I think audiences are going to laugh, I think they’re going to be impressed with how we do it and I think they’re going to fall in love with all of the characters. Even though murder is involved, it is lighthearted at the end of the day.”
“Clue” is a great show for families, for couples and for individuals looking to have fun at the theater, he said.
“You’re going to laugh and have a great time and go home with a smile on your face.”
‘Clue’
When: Oct. 6-21
Where: Albright Community Theatre, third floor, 100 N. Island Ave., Batavia
Tickets: $18-$23
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Information: 630-406-8838; albrighttheatre.com
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News.