At the start of each school year, Xavier and Brophy theatre departments reveal their upcoming fall and spring productions. This year when the curtains open on September 24, 2025, they will present the murder mystery, “Clue.”
“Clue” is a well-known play based on the board game, which differs from previous productions put on by Xavier and Brophy. This production brings suspense and humor to the stage, and introduces a new style of acting.
The process of picking the fall play is always difficult, but “Clue” stood out because of its “very fun and diverse cast of characters,” said director Sarah White. White felt that many of the actors and actresses at Xavier and Brophy would do really well in a show with the style of “Clue.”
The play is very chaotic and lighthearted, relying on perfect timing and exaggerated acting.
This kind of production challenges the cast and crew to deliver a new type of show that varies from other plays in tone, pacing, performance-demands and audience experience.
Most of Xavier and Brophy’s plays are very serious, “but this show is campy and fun,” said Nora O’Donovan ‘26, who plays Mrs. White.
“Our dialogue is snappy and leaves no time for forgetting,” said O’Donovan, which demands the actors and actresses to stay sharp and focused in every scene.
Memorizing all the small details of the play at such a fast pace is incredibly important, and incredibly hard. It requires a lot of hard work and constant repetition. The cast has to master quick cues and interactions between characters.
In previous Xavier productions like “Hadestown” or “Murder on the Orient Express,” the tones of the shows have been serious and slower, while “Clue” is playful and quick. This shift in style challenges the cast to not only balance a new genre, but a new speed of production as well.
Due to “Clue” being a fast-moving show, it is also one of the shorter plays done by Brophy and Xavier. Although it’s not a very long performance, “it certainly stands out as a whimsical and comedic play,” said Anderson Roof ‘27, who plays Wadsworth.
Wadsworth is “a very formal and humble butler who drives the story along,” Roof said. His character is responsible for keeping the story moving quickly, and tying it together.
Aside from the humorous and fast-paced aspects of the play, the numerous props, costumes and sets raise another undertaking that makes “Clue” unlike previous shows.
“The technical elements of ‘Clue’ are very vast,” White said. Behind the scenes of the play the crew makes costumes, accounts for quick changes in costumes, makes the set move fluidly and works with the element of background music.
The set was designed in early summer and had to start being built in July in order to finish on time due to the many different rooms and settings needed for the play. “Clue” also required doubles of many props, like the murder weapons.
While “Clue” has its challenges in production, it also allows the cast to “explore the ridiculous side of drama and murder mysteries,” O’Donovan said. This production gives actors and actresses the chance to play with comedic timing and elements that are not usually presented in Xavier and Brophy plays.
“Clue” introduces a different type of energetic comedy and performance to not only the theatre department but to the Xavier and Brophy community.
As opening night approaches, the cast and crew are excited to share their work with the rest of the two schools. The audience will be in for many surprises.
