Let's solve a murder - fun for the whole family
Jamie Ulmer • April 22, 2025
Nothing says "fun family night" like solving a murder.
Judging by the enduring popularity of the board game Clue, one could surmise that’s exactly the case. The 1985 movie, while not a hit at the time, has since become a cult classic. This stage adaptation has proven to be a success for theatres across the country. So, we must deduce that solving a murder is fun.
The evidence backs this up. The board game, conceived in the UK in 1943, was originally called Cluedo—a play on words combining “clue” and the Latin word ludo, meaning “I play.” Due to wartime shortages, the game wasn’t produced commercially until 1949. When released in the U.S., the Latin wordplay was dropped, and it became simply Clue, distributed by Parker Brothers. The game continues to be produced and updated, but the basic premise has remained the same.
The 1985 film featured an all-star cast of comedic actors, including Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Christopher Lloyd. It famously had three different endings, and which one you saw depended on the theater you attended. Though it wasn’t a financial success at the time, it has since developed a major cult following.
In 2017, the first version of this stage play debuted, drawing heavily from the 1985 film. The script has undergone several revisions and adaptations through 2021. The show has proven wildly popular, often landing on lists of the most-produced plays in community, professional, and academic theatres.
It’s also popular with actors—our auditions saw the largest turnout for a play in many years!
So what makes it so beloved? It’s a combination of many factors: the familiar title and premise, the classic over-the-top characters, and the chance to don our detective hats and solve a mystery. It creates a kind of “comfort food” feel. We know what to expect, we can relax and enjoy the ride, and maybe even pat ourselves on the back when we think we've solved the mystery before the characters do.
Sometimes, you just need to take a break and enjoy some good, old-fashioned fun—solving a murder.
Enjoy the show!
Jamie Ulmer
Executive Director
Theatre Lawrence News & Announcements
Chris McCoy is an arts educator, theatre director, and nonprofit professional based in Kansas City and is excited to join Theatre Lawrence as Development Director.
Celebrate the Addams Family's legacy in our season finale. Join us for this beloved Broadway musical at Theatre Lawrence!
CAST LIST: GUYS & DOLLS, SR. We would like to extend a huge thank you to every single person who auditioned for Guys & Dolls Sr. The talent, enthusiasm, humor, and heart in the room made this an incredibly difficult and exciting casting process, and we can’t wait to continue this journey with you! Because of the overwhelming amount of talent , remaining speaking roles will be assigned after our first read-through rehearsal on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 PM. This truly is going to be a celebration of ensemble, community, and the joy of performance at every stage of life. Thanks to EVERYONE!!! See ALL y'all tomorrow, 6:30 Theatre Lawrence, Downstairs Rehearsal Room. PRINCIPAL CAST Sky Masterson: JEFF LADY Sarah Brown: TERRY THOELKE Nathan Detroit: WALTER OLKER Miss Adelaide: CYNDI ROOD Nicely-Nicely Johnson: STEVE FENDT Benny Southstreet: JARYL PERKINS Rusty Charlie: CHRIS DRAHOZAL Additional cast members: BARBARA BRYDENTHAL BETH CHAMBERS BETH RUNDQUIST BETSI ANDERSON BRENDA WILCH BROOKS APPELBAUM CAROL DOBBINS CAROLYN WULFKUHLE CHERYL WAGNER CHUCK MOSLEY CINDY HILLS DAVE MOSHER DEB MADDEN DEE AGUILAR JEFF MUELLER JERRY GUFFEY JILL CANNON JILL DICKERSON JO ANDERSEN KAREN DEVICTOR LINDA CANNON MARGARET KELLEY MATT PRICE NANCY GIBBENS PAM BLOME PAM MOONEY PAUL BAEUCHLE RETA CALDWELL SUSAN RALSTON TERRI JOHNSON TOM DAVIS