Mystery brewing in Stagecrafters’ production of ‘Clue’

ROYAL OAK — There is a mystery afoot in Stagecrafters’ next production, which is set to bow later this month.

Stagecrafters will be presenting its production of “Clue” from Jan. 20 to Feb. 5 at the Baldwin Theatre, located at 415 S. Lafayette Ave. in Royal Oak.

Director Leta Chrisman said “Clue” loosely follows the plot of the 1985 movie, which itself is based on the board game, in which a group of people must solve a murder.

“It has the same characters and a lot of the same plot threads, but they’ve made some changes, which make it really interesting,” she said. “It is still your basic whodunit, murder happens more than once and we’re trying to figure out who’s guilty of what by the end.”

Chrisman called “Clue” her favorite movie and said that the Stagecrafters production will spotlight the whole cast.

“It’s such a good time and most shows have like, ‘This is the lead character and this is everybody else,’ and this one is such an ensemble piece,” she said. “Like, it’s a whole bunch of people who just get to show off how talented they are. And it’s really, really funny.”

Preparation for the play began back in the fall. Chrisman said being able to see the cast work together, develop the show and make connections has been great because, in her words, “comedy is hard.”

“It’s a lot of work to be funny, and then watching them laugh at each other is a lot of fun as well,” she said. “It sometimes feels like we’re just going out and playing for a few hours a couple of nights a week. We have a really good time.”

One of the ensemble who will take the stage is Crystal Nemchak, who will be playing Mrs. White.

“Clue” will be Nemchak’s second show with Stagecrafters. She originally had auditioned to play Miss Scarlet, but she said it felt right that she was offered to play Mrs. White because the role felt easier to slip into.

“Madeline Kahn is an icon, so it’s a bit of pressure to make sure that everyone that’s coming to see it that loves the movie so much, you know, you don’t want to imitate them, but you do want to embody it a bit because people are looking forward to seeing that,” she said. “It’s a fine line to walk, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Nemchak said the rehearsal process also has been a fun process where everyone got a chance to flex their physical comedy muscles.

“There’s not a single day in rehearsal where we haven’t just completely lost it and derailed,” she said. “I mean everyone involved in the show is so funny. So we’ve just been having a great time.

“We’ve worked so hard on all the different aspects of the show,” she continued. “There’s so many great parts sprinkled throughout, but everyone of course wonders how is the play going to end compared to the movie. And I guess I just can say to that, ‘You’re not going to expect it, but you’re gonna love it.’”

Ticket information and show dates can be found at www.stagecrafters.org or by calling (248) 541-6430.