By Dana Wagner
Vicksburg High School’s Theater Club in November put on a lifesize murder mystery game themed around its upcoming performance of “Clue (The High School edition)” based on the board game and 1985 film of the same name. The event at the Vicksburg Historic Village was a clever promotion as well as a fundraiser to support the school’s theater program.
Cast members and backstage workers, 18 in all, were led by Director Melissa Sparks. The students used the buildings and grounds of the Historic Village as a backdrop in presenting the real-life Clue game to the public. The whodunnit included costumed students playing the parts of Clue characters Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock and Mustard, providing clues to the audience to help them solve the murder in Boddy Manor.
The event was organized by the members of Vicksburg’s chapter of the International Thespian Society, an international honors organization for high school students in theater. The students were chosen based on their work both on and backstage. “The fundraiser was predominantly organized by the students,” Sparks said, “and I want to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.”
Part of the mission of the Vicksburg Performing Arts Center is to engage the entire community in new and exciting ways through an array of inspiring programs, and members of the Society were thrilled to partner on this project. It was a wonderful way to make use of the Historic Village and continue sharing this gem with the community. All of the buildings were open to the public during the event with volunteers greeting and answering questions.
For information on future productions and tickets, please visit http://www.vicksburgschools.org/pac.