As I write this, it’s 3:30am on Sunday, September 13. In 10.5 short hours I will go onstage for the final performance of Clue: On Stage. I’ve not written much lately, and that’s probably not going to change much, but I’d like to talk a bit about this experience.

Several months ago, I spotted a billboard for an upcoming play in a nearby city, and as it was a stage adaptation of one of my absolute favorite movies, Clue, I resolved to go see it. Looking it up on Facebook, I discovered that the show wasn’t until September, and that they hadn’t even cast it yet. Now, it’s been a long time since I worked in a full stage production (almost 7 years since How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, and 9 or 10 since I was in Humbug), I toyed with the idea for a few days. I reached out to some friends, as well as my loved ones, to see if I should try out for it.

The responses were very encouraging. Every acting part I’ve had, ever, has been relatively small, but I really couldn’t resist. I remember commenting to friends that I would enjoy nearly any part in the play, including, but not limited to, Wadsworth, Mr. Green, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, the motorist, the cop, the cook, and Mrs. Peacock. so in mid June, I made the journey to the nearby city to audition.

Wow. So many amazing people turned out to audition. I read for almost every male part, and felt severely like I was out of my league. I immediately realized that both Wadsworth and Mr. Green we’re far more intense roles than I would be able to pull off, but I had fun reading for them. I left the first audition feeling a bit overwhelmed and pretty sure I was spinning my wheels.

Auditions spanned two nights, and I wasn’t sure if I should bother going back. After debating it for a bit, I contacted the director and asked if I should even bother. I was surprised to be encouraged by her, and she told me that she really thought I should attend the second night. So I did. The second night, I read almost exclusively for the part of Colonel Mustard, and I felt so much better about it. Still, I had reservations, because that’s how my brain works.

Amazingly, I got a callback, and returned to read for Mustard a number of times, and late that night I was offered the part!

What ensued was a pretty rigorous practice schedule that was so much more intense than anything else I had ever done. I had some bad habits that I needed to break, and I’m happy to report that I’ve finally mostly broken them. My character’s personality went through several iterations, and while they were all a version of “bumbling pompous fool” I really feel like he has evolved.

One of the things that I didn’t realize was how much I missed the community aspect of community theatre. Over the last few months I’ve met some amazing people, made some really great friends, and I hope I can stay involved in some way in the future. It’s been a while since I’ve had a family of friends and that’s really what this feels like. I hope that they feel the same way.

Our show opened on Thursday, September 10. Originally planned for four shows, the current health situation has severely restricted the seating capacity, and all four shows sold out a week before the production. We added a fifth show, which sold out by opening night.

As I said, this has, by far, been the most intense production I’ve ever been in, and if I’m honest with myself, will probably be the most intense production I’ll ever be involved in. With a cast of 16, and another 10 or so behind the scenes, I really feel like this is the pinnacle of my stage “career”.

Today, I was reminded of one of my best friends, who was my partner in crime, early in my community theatre experience. He passed away in 2011. One of the names he went by online was gobo, named for both the Fraggle and for the lighting filters used on stage. As I was getting ready, this box caught my attention.

Now it’s 4am, and I’m writing this instead of sleeping. I’m excited for the final show, but I’m not ready for it to be over. I wonder if any of my cast mates like board games…