The task of bringing the murder, mystery and mania of Clue Onstage to life as St. Dominic’s 2018 fall play was one which was immediately daunting. Upon the record arrival of talent at auditions, director Melfreya Findley made the decision to turn one cast into two.

In an effort to incorporate all those who auditioned, actors were split into two groups: the White Cast and the Red Cast. Each cast would perform two different show dates, practicing together until the final weeks of rehearsals, where they would work apart to finalize their individual shows. This meant that each character of Clue would be played by two different actors, each with their own unique interpretations and talent.

Nowhere was this seen more clearly than in the two actors portraying the lead role of Wadsworth, the butler. Senior Nathan Hakenewerth and sophomore Charlie Wehde both took on the intimidating role, working off of each other as well as independently to perfect their characterization.

“Playing the unique role of Wadsworth has really been different from anything I’ve done so far because of the amount of audience interaction I was allowed to have,” said Wehde.

While both actors had different reasons for loving their characters, they felt the same about the decision to double cast the production.

“The double casting was definitely a struggle at the start, but in the end I think it included so many people and offered a lot of opportunity we wouldn’t have had with only one cast,” said Hakenewerth.

Both casts made it through this past weekend of shows with stellar success and rave reviews. No one was quite as proud as director Melfreya Findley.

“I could not have asked for a more successful production of CLUE. There was not an audience member who was disappointed. It was so rewarding to then see the actors take this and run with it in their own ways. I am so incredibly proud of everyone for taking on this challenge and executing it beyond my expectations,” said Findley.

Behind the lights, makeup and scripts, there is a theatre “family”. Even with two separate casts, the actors and crew grew together and formed bonds to last them throughout high school. The theatre family is an environment where everyone is welcome and encouraged to be the best actors and crew members they can be, working together to put on the best show possible.