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
Joy. That's the only word I can think of to describe the feeling that has been radiating from the TL stage over the past several weeks. First came the joy of our annual Penguin Project production. Seeing youth with special needs take the stage and experience the audience's warm appreciation each night is nothing short of magical. This year's production of Alice in Wonderland Jr. proved it with time-obsessed rabbits, murderous Queen of Hearts, and ever-growing and shrinking young Alices. That was followed last weekend by our sold-out run of Guys and Dolls SR ., our very first Vintage Players senior musical. The joy was written on the face of every cast member, some of whom were appearing in their very first show (one made her acting debut at 83!). That joy carried over after each performance as friends, children, and grandchildren eagerly waited to congratulate the cast. There's one more weekend of summer joy on tap as we present two youth productions, Willy Wonka KIDS and The Aristocats KIDS , playing in repertory this Friday and Saturday. Sharing joy like this makes all the schedule juggling, rehearsals, and investment of resources worthwhile. It reminds us why we support community-based, locally produced theatre. There is truly nothing like it, and we're thrilled to have been bringing that joy to our community for 50 years. Our exciting 50th Anniversary Season is about to begin, and we can't wait to share that joy with you! Jamie Ulmer TL Executive Director
View the cast list for 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical.' Tickets go on sale August 3. Check it out!
Theatre Lawrence is pleased to announce the first recipient of the Louise ImMasche Striving Artists Project is Anj Marie Riffel and her musical Chasing Nirvana . The show will receive a production at Theatre Lawrence Oct. 2 and 3, 2026. Information about auditions and participating in the first staging of this original musical will be available in the coming weeks. Anj Marie Riffel wears a stack of hats professionally and passionately — including writer, editor, designer, and songwriter — with an enduring love of artistic expression. Her short plays have been featured on stage at Theatre Lawrence for New Works Night. When she’s not searching for her missing iPhone or the meaning of life, Anj can be found wading heart-deep in creative pursuits and loving her people. The Striving Artists Project honors the legacy of Louise ImMasche and the art they created by fostering a space and providing resources to small artists with big shows. This project aims to provide an opportunity to kinder those like Louise – unyielding in their dreams, a need to tell their stories, and looking to go big with the chances they are provided. About the show: Travel back to the heyday of Gen X, when twentysomethings were trying to figure out who they were beyond the walls of Shermer High School—and discovering that reality does indeed bite. Presley Martin is an endearingly awkward, hot mess of a musician who’s hoping her band might be the next Nirvana. While reaching on tiptoe for the stars, she loses her balance and winds up flirting with rock bottom instead. With the resurgence of 1990s culture, CHASING NIRVANA feels simultaneously nostalgic and current. Driven by catchy 90’s alt-rock music, the story appeals to a multi-generational audience, as it examines life’s big questions: Who will love me? Why am I here? What really matters? Packed with heart, humor, and a healthy dose of pop-culture wisdom, we follow Presley’s journey as she navigates a Bermuda love triangle and risks losing herself in the void between two very different dreams. Will she find her own sense of nirvana?