We saw the final a performance (we were told it was the final performance, but the theatre’s website disagrees, and we know who runs the world these days) of a run of Clue at the Zephyr Theatre, in Stillwater, MN, last night.
Clue is a pleasant farce, meant to entertain and delight the senses, and Zephyr’s staging of the play matches well with these ambitions, providing a shape-shifting staging that permits far more than the normal number of viewing angles on the stage, while supplying the audience, which currently lacks stadium seating, an opportunity to see the play at multiple levels and angles. Finished with a rainstorm composed of real water, which we were fortunate enough to inspect post-performance, it was eye-catching and delightful.
The actual performance was also quite good, with no one unsatisfactory; the performances that stood out from the others are that of the Butler, Wadsworth, who carries on at length, and the french maid, Yvette, whose performance, featuring much bouncing movement, bizarrely reminded me of a Russian dance performance[1]. At an early juncture, the two work together in such a way as to suggest a certain obsessive-compulsive disorder. But it is also fair to say that sometimes the actors had to struggle with the stereotypes provided by the script.
Perhaps the weakest component of the show is the one they have the least control over: the story Clue tells. It is such a strong farce that, for those with a dislike for that art form, it can seem a bit overwhelming. Characters do tend to be superficial, so it won’t haunt you for days afterward.
But if you like farce, or are just looking for a refuge from a world that seems to have gone mad, visit the madness in Stillwater’s Zephyr; it’s ever so much more pleasant. There’s only a few performances left, so don’t hesitate.
1 Only click on this link if you have tolerance for a low-resolution video of some years age. And, yes, the resemblance is fleeting, but there it is: I tend to be a random connection machine.
