Entertainment: Pintello’s ‘Clue’ is full of laughter and mayhem
Mystery farce is based on the 1985 comedy film, which is based on the classic Hasbro board game
Actors rehearse for the upcoming Pintello Comedy Theater production of “Clue.” Photo courtesy Pintello Comedy Theater
By Marty Cheek
Pintello Comedy Theater invites you to an evening of murder and mayhem. The Gilroy-based theater group’s farcical who-dun-it “Clue” opens Jan. 14 to delight audiences with a story based on the 1985 movie, which in turn was based on the classic Hasbro board game.
The producers extended the run time to Feb. 12 because so many people in the South Valley want to catch a performance, said Whitney Pintello, the comedy play’s director.
“We hadn’t even sent out our mailing yet and we were getting a lot of reservations,” she said. “We have reduced seating because of social distance. And also it’s going to be a really popular show. We want to give enough time for everyone to see it.”
Much like the board game, the show brings together six strangers who are invited to a dinner party in a remote New England mansion thrown by an anonymous host (played by Jayson Stebbins). Each guest is given an alias: Colonel Mustard (Jason Harris), Mrs. White (Adrianne Wilkinson), Mr. Green (Ronnie Misra), Mrs. Peacock (Ariane Borgia), Professor Plum (Dave Leon), and Miss Scarlet (Valarie Valenzuela). They discover they all have fallen victim to a blackmailer. Each is presented with a weapon and given an option: pay their extortionist double, or kill the innocent butler named Wadsworth (David Scott). The cook and a singing telegram girl is played by Robin Harris. The French maid named Yvette is played by Krista Warner.
The madcap, slapstick evening is full of mystery and hilarity as the guests race frantically to puzzle out the culprit among criminals as the body count stacks up. Dinner guests make their way through the mansion, finding hidden passageways and secret doors as they try to find the killer.
The show’s set was built by Charley Gilmore and decorated by Pintello. They placed “Easter eggs” throughout the elaborately decorated rooms on the stage that will be plenty of fun for local audiences to discover, Pintello promised.
“This show is the most technical set we’ve ever had,” she said. “There are a lot of moving parts and it’s a really technical show for us,” she said. “This has a lot of trick sets and more rooms — such as the billiard room, the lounge — than we’ve ever had to have on stage before.”
There’s something special about a large cast comedy, especially when it is a property as well-known as “Clue,” said Stebbins. The characters and the story are well known and he hopes the show will be a crowd pleaser.
“Pintello has brought in a dream team: lots of familiar faces, some new blood as well, and a dynamite set to keep people entertained,” he said.
“Clue” provides a fun night of hilarity for audiences to enjoy and take them back to a childhood board game set on stage, Pintello said.
Cast of “Clue” rehearse as they prepare for the upcoming show. Photo courtesy Pintello Comedy Theater
“It’s a wonderful piece of nostalgia, which is really comforting right now. People want something that’s familiar,” she said. “I also lucked out and got a stellar cast. It’s 11 people and they are outstanding together. It’s really, really great. It’s a warm, campy, fun piece. It’s a piece of lightness that people need right now.”
Even though there are several murders in the story, they are committed in a comic style, making the play “a pretty family-friendly show,” she said.
“There are a lot of physical hi-jinks and plenty of surprises as the various characters discover clues throughout the evening,” Pintello said. “There’s enough drama in the world. People can come to our place and feel lightened and uplifted for a couple of hours.”