The fall play at Lake Forest Academy is an annual production that students, faculty and people around campus look forward to. This year’s production – “Clue: On Stage” – received numerous praises. The actors delivered a masterful performance, presenting a classic comedy filled with suspense and laughter to the audience. This production not only received enthusiastic live reactions, but the behind-the-scenes production story was also intriguing.
The setting – Boddy Manor, almost a character itself in the play, was created by teachers and the student crew. Weeks of planning went into transforming the stage into the mysterious Boddy Manor. The director Michael Driscoll explained that the creative team led by Jason Koenig and Ted Anderson began by analyzing the script to determine the essential rooms and how to make scene changes seamless and surprising. “We wanted to create those ‘wow’ moments where a wall slides open to reveal a hidden room,” Driscoll said. The set designers conducted extensive research on Victorian Gothic architecture, carefully selecting everything from wallpaper patterns to the ground painting to the appropriate lighting fixtures. The attention to detail extended to the props team, which created numerous pieces of evidence that played crucial roles in the mystery.
Moreover, the costume design presented another layer of authenticity to the production. The team developed distinctive outfits for each character that reflected their personalities – from Mrs. White’s elegant black dress to Wardsworth’s neat tuxedo. Notably, Miss Scarlet’s costume is not the same as the costume in the original movie, but a cheongsam – a traditional Chinese dress women wore during that time. This is a brilliant combination of the actor herself and the character.
Although this year’s cast is not as big as previous years, the actors still stole the show. However, the student cast faced multiple challenges in bringing their characters to life. Grace Wang ’27, who played Ms. White, shared how demanding the physical aspects of all the female roles proved to be, “Running across the stage in high heels while maintaining character and delivering lines required constant practice: that’s why we wore our performance shoes during rehearsals to get comfortable in them.” Additionally, the rapid-fire dialogue and precise comic timing presented another significant challenge. Patrick Wang ’27, who portrayed Mr. Green noted that, “the script moves at such a fast pace, and the comedy depends on perfect timing. Remembering all the blocking while keeping the energy high was challenging, but incredibly rewarding once we mastered it.”
Despite these challenges, the actors found moments of joy in their performances. Samuel Hendricks ’26, who played Wadsworth the butler, particularly enjoyed his character’s most famous line: “Frankly, Miss Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.” That’s something he looked forward to saying every show, “Even though I have never seen or read Gone with the Wind, I love the reference to such an iconic line,” Hendricks ’26 said.
The hard work paid off when the final curtain fell to roaring applause and ovations. The audience praised the production’s professional quality, with many noting they forgot they were watching a high school performance, especially because of how polished everything felt, how smooth the set changes were and how actors seamlessly embodied their characters. Audiences also pointed out that the mansion search scene was their favorite moment. The choreography of all the characters nervously opening the doors and reacting to discoveries created wonderful tension and comedy.
The success of “Clue: On Stage” has set a new standard for future drama productions. While next year’s show hasn’t been announced yet, participants say they are excited to build on this experience and continue pushing their creative boundaries.