Iterations of the boardgame “Clue” have brought friends and family together for 75 years, inspiring the 1985 film of the same name to follow suit. Now the property is engaging audiences live on its first ever national tour.
“Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget,” the production is described. “Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? … ‘Clue’ is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.”
LGBTQ+ actor Jonathan Spivey plays Professor Plum. He calls the character “an old school, super privileged, classic academic mansplainer who thinks that he’s the smartest guy in the room.”
The actor clued Watermark into what audiences can expect from the play ahead of its stops at Tampa’s Straz Center May 28-June 2 and Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center June 4-9.
WATERMARK: What drew you to performance?
Jonathan Spivey: I think what drew me to it initially was like a lot of theater people, theater can be a catch all — especially in rural communities, I grew up in really rural Virginia — for people who feel different for a variety of different reasons; for people who are queer, for people who just feel like they don’t fit in. I think that’s probably what really got me into it.
And also the other stuff that goes with it — self-expression, getting to escape your reality and pretend to be someone else. That’s probably a big part of it, too. You know, when you’re growing up gay in really conservative, small town Virginia, and you have this artistic mode of expression that allows you to escape or to imagine yourself in a different set of circumstances, that can be really healing and really positive. Not to get too holistic or too spiritual too early, but I think that’s probably what got me into it initially. (Laughs.) Feeling like, “Nobody else here feels like they fit in. I don’t really feel like I fit in either. So this must be the place for me.”
Why do you think LGBTQ+ audiences can resonate with “Clue?”
I’ve thought about this and I know the movie is a cult classic. While I would say it’s not a queer movie — I mean, Tim Curry is kind of a queer icon, I think — I think a lot of folks probably are familiar with the film. I think our stage version is a lot broader than the movie. The movie is very dry, it’s very deadpan. Our stage version is much more slapstick … much more vaudevillian. It’s kind of door-slamming farce. So I think there is a little bit of overlap there with kind of the camp tradition that is such a huge part of queer culture and queer comedy in general.
We were just in Baltimore … and John Waters is arguably the most famous person from Baltimore and I was thinking about him a lot while we were there, because there’s just a lot of overlap between that camp tradition and what we’re doing on stage.
This is both the first tour of “Clue” and your first tour as an actor. What’s it been like being on the road?
It’s crazy. It’s a different city every week and you try to cram in as much as you can around the shows. For me, when I’m on the plane or getting there I’m looking at the bars. I’m on Reddit. I’m like, “Okay, which ones do I have to hit before I leave?” Me and one of the wardrobe staff, we were looking for something fun to do in Cincinnati. We didn’t realize it was the first night that they were ever doing it, but there were two drag queens hosting a Musical Monday. They were playing videos of musical theater, iconic moments. We were in heaven.
Personally, I try to find that snapshot into the queer landscape of where you are for every city that you visit … we’ve been to some other towns that are smaller, maybe a little more conservative. You have to hunt a little bit more for queer nightlife, but that’s a big part of visiting each town that we’re in.
How has your career prepped you for this tour?
I got my master’s degree at the Old Globe in San Diego, a program which is Shakespeare focused. This may sound bizarre, but I absolutely credit my training there with being able to do anything else. The reason I chose to get my graduate degree there was I felt like if I could do Shakespeare really well, some of the most complex, beautiful language really well, then doing a farce like “Clue” would be easier.
I don’t say that to cut “Clue” off at the knees, because it really requires a lot. It’s an incredibly physical show. This is like I said before, this is old-school, vaudevillian, door-slamming, physical comedy. This is precision comedy, so it requires an incredible rhythmic sense. Timing for any theater is really important, but especially for a show like this.
Were you a fan of “Clue” growing up?
I was aware of the game, but me and my sister were playing “Mall Madness” when I was growing up. We weren’t playing much “Clue” … and I did not grow up like watching the movie every day. I had seen bits and pieces and I knew Tim Curry … But no, rehearsal for this tour and having been out on it since the end of February has been my big introduction to this universe. It’s been so eye opening to see how many folks just are obsessed with the movie.
It’s kind of like “Rocky Horror.” We have folks coming in costume, dressed up as us to see the show. There aren’t people shouting out lines from the audience, but there are certain iconic lines from the film that are in our version, too — and you can hear this specific type of laughter when they recognize moments from the movie that they really love. This has been a really, really wonderful introduction to this whole story and this whole universe.
Why do you think audiences should come see this production?
Here’s the thing, this is one of the most divisive periods in American history. We’re in the middle of it right now, especially in Florida. The reason why I think people need to come see this, even though it is a silly, fun mental vacation, I think that’s the exact reason why they need to come see it. We are playing to houses of 2,500 people in almost every city that we’re in. 2,500 very different people, people of all different backgrounds, of all different political affiliations, and for 85 minutes all of those people are sitting in the same room together, watching us make fools of ourselves.
They’re breathing the same air. They’re laughing at the same thing. They’re focusing on the same jokes. They’re not thinking about that whole tornado of America while they’re in the theater together. … Those experiences where audiences can come together and feel unified are really important right now.
Why do you think that is?
We’re losing that. We don’t do that anymore. Especially in states like Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio. These states that we are visiting, there have to be moments where we’re able to put our differences aside and have fun together.
We’ve got to get back to doing that. Our show does that. That’s why I feel like what we’re doing is important. Young people, especially teens and tweens, think they’re too cool for school. But then they watch our show, they watch a bunch of grown adults be total idiots. I think it’s a great experience for them too. They get to see, like, “oh, like, maybe I don’t have to take myself too seriously.”
What can you share about working with the cast and crew?
I’d love to talk about the crew! This set is incredible. I’ve described it as kind of a pop-up book, it’s gorgeous. But you have no idea the tricks that it does until you see the whole show. Parts pop out, parts pivot out. Anybody who knows the game knows there are these iconic rooms like the library, the study, the lounge, the kitchen. You get to see each of those rooms in the game pop open in ways that you don’t expect.
We travel with a cast of I think 16 actors, but then also nine resident crew, but every performance, those nine resident crew are supplemented by 12 local crew in every city we go to — 12 brand new people backstage, running the show with our nine.
That’s 21 crew members backstage, every performance, over half of which have never seen the show, never done that except for the week that we’re there. So what audiences are going to see really relies on the expertise of all those people behind the set that you don’t even think about while you’re watching us running around like crazy people.
What’s it like hearing the people laugh at your gags or jokes?
Oh my god, it’s addictive. It’s totally addictive. There’s nothing like it. It’s a communal experience, it really is. There are jokes in the show which you know having done it are guaranteed hits, and the pleasure of doing a long run like this is there are other moments where a laugh maybe isn’t landing the way that you want, so you get all of these opportunities to kind of perfect it while staying within the framework of how the show has been staged. You have to keep it fresh every night so you get to try small adjustments that might make a moment even funnier, and that’s one of the great pleasures of doing a show like this.
The last play I finished before I started this, which was an incredibly rewarding experience, was a Holocaust tragedy. It was a really important story that forced the audience to wrestle with big questions that made them think about the terrible things that people can do to each other. Those plays are important too, but I remember telling friends, as I was finishing that play, “I really want to do something just fun.”
The universe just kind of handed me this. It was like, “oh, you want something silly, that’s only 80 minutes long that is just gonna make people laugh? Here’s ‘Clue,’ go do ‘Clue.’” It came at exactly the right time.
Do you have any dream projects after this?
I’ve gotten a lot more traction on TV over the past couple of years. I definitely want to keep doing that … that’s definitely a big career goal. I’m always going to come back to theater; I’m never going to stop doing theater. But the skills and the difference in performing on camera … I’d say that’s what I’d like to focus on over the next couple of years.
What else do you want readers to know?
Come, and bring your super conservative grandmother or uncle or your family member who you avoid at Thanksgiving to see “Clue” and I promise you, you’re going to laugh together. I promise you it’s going to happen. This would be a great show to spend some time with those folks who maybe you don’t look forward to spending time with around the holidays.
There’s something important about shows like this that draw people together. This show makes people laugh together. I think there’s this misconception sometimes where, especially after the pandemic, some people think all theatre has to be important with these big messages that wrestle with these big questions. Some plays do have to do that … but then others can do just as much good by just making people laugh. Those are important, too. Shows like “Clue” are important too.
“Clue” plays at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts May 28-June 2, located at 1010 N. Macinnes Pl. in Tampa, before heading to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando June 4-9.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit StrazCenter.org and DrPhillipsCenter.org.
