As the new school year begins, the Fine Arts Department held auditions on Monday, August 23, for their first production of the semester, Clue. Adapted from the 1985 movie, Clue is a comedic murder mystery where six unsuspecting dinner party attendees end up as suspects for the murder of the party’s host, Mr. Boddy. This exciting play will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the killer is finally revealed.

This is the first play that will be led by the newly-appointed director, Mrs. Amanda Ketcham. Although it is her first time working as director, Ketcham is no stranger to the Blessed Trinity Fine Arts Department. With Ketcham in this new role, she spoke of differences she saw with these auditions, stating that “the talent has changed, and I saw an abundance of potential in many students.” She was amazed by the new talent not only from the cast but from the crew as well. As the theater teacher, Ketcham is now responsible for teaching stagecraft classes, where students have the opportunity to build and design sets and props for the Fine Arts productions. “It’s been fun seeing the students get just as excited as the actors,” she said. “I feel like I’m more involved now since I’ve gone from just working with just 10 or 20 kids to 60 or more cast and crew members.” Blessed Trinity cannot wait to see the productions Ketcham creates with her students.

Alex Agcaoili, a junior, used the opportunities brought by a new teacher to his advantage when he auditioned for Clue. He referred to this change as a “clean slate,” explaining that while the former director had ideas of what roles she could cast Agcaoili in, he felt that there was less pressure to go for a “goofy” role like he has in the past. In fact, he found himself drawn to the part of Mr. Green, a stern, no-nonsense character. He said that the character “came naturally to [him] as he practiced the monologue.”

 In order to audition, students needed to be familiar with one or two monologues from Clue. Katherine Mason, a senior who has participated in drama for the past three years, spoke honestly about the process, “I read over the monologues that I thought I would do best, and then I kept on picturing how these characters would deliver them. Since Scarlet is more flirty, I tried to keep her that way, while I kept Wadsworth as a more formal and serious character,” referring to the roles she was auditioning for. A major change brought by the new director was that auditions were no longer general, and students would instead audition for roles that they want to be cast in.

Most auditions at BT are open to any student who wants to join. Ketcham added that even those who participate in sports can try out, and there are spots for them in the productions. Agacoili had the fear of not being able to participate since he is a part of the cross country team, but after suffering an injury, he decided to fully commit to the play. He boldly stated, “I had two days to prepare [for an audition], and boy, oh boy, did I.” This ties into Mrs. Ketcham’s main piece of advice: “Go out of your comfort zone and try it.” Even if a student isn’t sure about joining theater, simply trying it out is the best way to find out if you like it. After all, the theater is a place for fun, community, and trying new things. 

The Blessed Trinity Fine Arts production of Clue will be on Friday, October 22nd, and Saturday, October 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to come out and support members of our Blessed Trinity family.