Buckhannon, W.Va.– Bring your Game Night to Buckhannon Community Theatre!
It’s a dark and stormy night, and you’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! In the play, six guests assemble at remote Boddy Manor for a dinner party. When their host turns up dead, Wadsworth the Butler, Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard must race to find the killer. Was it Ms. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench?
Follow the dinner guests through a madcap, slapstick evening full of murder, mystery, and laughs as they seek to puzzle out the culprit amongst criminals. Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.
Buckhannon Community Theatre brings the classic board game and motion picture to life with Clue: On Stage, based on the stage play by Jonathan Lynn, at the Colonial Arts Center, October 6 through 8 at 7 pm with a matinee performance on October 9 at 2 pm.
BCT cast the show last summer, but had to put off the production because of the pandemic’s effect on Upshur County. Almost all the original cast and crew have returned to their roles for this fall’s production.
“We only had to replace 2 roles since originally casting. I think I speak for everyone involved in Clue and Buckhannon Community Theatre when I say, ‘Welcome back to the show,’” said the show’s director, Dannie Stiles. “Our cast has been patiently waiting since August 2021 and have been working hard; they each have a strong connection with these characters. This cast is one of the strongest I have had the opportunity to work with, you can see them each having fun in their performance. It is nice to see some familiar faces and new members get involved. This is a farce you will not want to miss.”
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the center’s box office beginning an hour before the show begins. Clue: On Stage is made possible by a special arrangement with Playscripts.com.
Spawned by the efforts of Buckhannon-Upshur High School students and the high school’s vocal music teacher and choir director, James Knorr, BCT took to the stage for the first time in 1971 with the production that began as an effort to continue to have musical theater shows during the summer months in addition to the musical shows that were produced at the high school each spring. The effort was successful, as people of all ages and backgrounds became actors, singers, dancers, directors, stagehands and costumers in order to put together a “Broadway-style” show for the community.
In 1972, Buckhannon Community Theatre was chartered as a non-profit organization, developed and adopted organizational by-laws and held its first election of officers, including executive board members, from its general membership. It has since expanded from summer-only productions to producing shows throughout the year. This year, BCT celebrates 51 years of quality live theater productions.
Since 2017, Playscripts has been home to the most produced one-act plays in the country. Playscripts is an imprint of Broadway Licensing, a full-service theatrical licensing and producorial group. These plays represent a great diversity of voices, styles, and stories and offer a fresh perspective on the human experience. Playscripts, Inc. understands the extraordinary role of a playwright as an artist, businessperson, and marketer.
BCT and the CAC have plans to host a fall production in the main hall annually. Whether it remains traditional plays, or is expanded with musical productions, both organizations are excited to see what happens in the years to come.
