PHOTO COURTESY MICHAEL KITAIF WHO’S THE KILLER? — All mayhem breaks loose when people begin showing up murdered at Boddy Manor. Ms. Scarlet (played by Chelsea Street), Professor Plumb (Russel R. Trahan), Mrs. Peacock (Robin Neill-Kitaif), Wadsworth (Alan Ware), Mr. Green (Robert Baldwin), Col. Mustard (Thomas Muniz) and Mrs. White (Sara Humbert) now have to figure out who the murderer is! Clue: A Play based on the 1985 Paramount Film will be performed Sept. 24-Oct. 17 at the Athens Theatre, 124 N. Florida Ave. in Downtown DeLand.

This year’s spooky season begins at the Athens Theatre in DeLand as it morphs into a mansion of epic proportions and terrifying secrets — otherwise known as Boddy Manor. Six color-named characters step into a whirlwind evening of murder and mayhem, mystery and monkey business!

It’s time for you to be the detective. Figure out “Whom? Whom? Whom dunit” in Clue: A Play based on the 1985 Paramount Film, playing Friday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 17. Tickets are priced from $12 to $31.

This hilarious night of slamming doors, breathing heaving flames, gunshots, secret passages, barking dogs, singing telegrams and general spoofiness is directed by Athens Production Manager Frank Ramirez (Arsenic and Old Lace, Always, Patsy Cline, 9 to 5, Mamma Mia!).

All of you know the characters’ names and may even know a few of their most infamous lines. You have seen the potentially deadly instruments of death in the mansion’s familiar, iconic rooms. You are more than ready to be the detective in this goofy romp based on the board game and the cult-classic, star-studded Paramount film.

Our own dazzling cast is loaded with local theater favorites. Athens Facilities Manager Alan Ware (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Les Misérables, The Addams Family, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, etc.) fills the stage as Wadsworth, the secretive butler hosting the evening. He is assisted by the maid, Yvette, who is far more than she seems, as portrayed by Yolanda Gonzales (Chicago).

Mrs. Peacock, played by Robin Neill-Kitaif, holds a knife.

Robin Neill-Kitaif (Sister Act) does yet another marvelously madcap diva star turn as Mrs. Peacock, the eccentric wife of a U.S. senator.

Powerhouse newcomer Chelsea Street stuns as the sultry but streetwise spider woman, Ms. Scarlet. Also, on the evening’s guest list is the very military and very dense Col. Mustard, played with great gusto by Thomas Muniz (Lend Me a Tenor, Annie, The Addams Family); he has secrets of his own but might be surprised at the “wrench” this night will throw into his plans.

Chelsea Street holding a candlestick, plays Ms. Scarlet
Col. Mustard, played by Thomas Muniz, with a wrench

For those of you who have spent endless hours playing the Parker Brothers board game, though, it is clear that the cast of probable killers is not yet complete!

Professor Plum, portrayed by Russel Trahan, has a gun.

Russell R. Trahan (Inherit the Wind, Lend Me a Tenor) plays the only doctor (well, psychologist), Professor Plum, an arrogant and opportunistic academic who is most impressed with himself.

Sara Humbert as Mrs. White has a rope.

Mrs. White, in the hilarious hands of the Athens’ grand dame Sara Humbert (The Female Odd Couple, Les Misérables, Urinetown, Boeing Boeing), is a morbid, pale and (with five dead or missing husbands) probable black widow. The shady big-time gambler Mr. Body is rollickingly played by Will Phillips.

Rounding out the list of usual suspects is DeLand darling Robert Baldwin (Noises Off, Spamalot, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Urinetown), treading the boards in the loafers of Mr. Green, a closeted state-department employee.

Mr. Green, played by Robert Baldwin, has a pipe.

They are accompanied by the hardest-working auxiliary ensemble in Central Florida: Athens newcomer Houston Smith and the Athens’ very own Executive Director Alexa Baldwin (Grease, Little Shop of Horrors, Les Misérables, 9 to 5, etc.).

Bring your magnifying glass and your Sherlock hat to settle in for a romping, tongue-in-cheek, multiple-murder mystery.

Tickets cost $31 for preferred seating (rows A-E, center); $26 for adults; $24 for senior citizens; $12 for students/children; and $22 per person for groups of eight or more. A $3-per-ticket processing charge will be added to each purchase.

The historic Athens Theatre has taken extensive precautions to ensure the safety of its patrons, staff, volunteers and actors. It is at 124 N. Florida Ave. in Downtown DeLand.

To find out more specific information, visit the Athens Theatre website online at www.AthensDeLand.com. If you are looking to purchase socially distant tickets, call the box office at 386-736-1500, and they will be able to find a spot where your whole family can sit together. Box-office hours are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and 1 1/2 hours before live performances.

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