Orem, Utah – November 11th, 2026
UVU Theatre’s production of Clue sold out tickets months before the show was scheduled to run. Tickets were limited to 12 seats a night; their website advertised the show as “interactive.” The location of the production wasn’t even at a theater! Instead, viewers were assured that they would solve the mysteries of Clue within an “unusual space where the small audience is a big part of the action.” Clue was staged inside UVU’s Old Alumni House. This house was originally used by former UVU President Matt Holland to host important donors to the university and to hold board meetings. Once the new Alumni building was opened, the old house didn’t have much use for the university anymore. Enter UVU’s Theatre department. The program had been looking for a house they could turn into their set, and The Old Alumni House seemed the perfect fit. Over the course of the production, actors rehearsed and staged scenes across various rooms in the home.
Audience members moved with the characters between four different seating areas throughout the home. Each seating area offered views into multiple rooms so audiences could watch the characters navigate the house in real time; characters could be spotted leaning over upstairs railings, sneaking through secret closets, and even performing from the outside! Additionally, the actors would perform inches away from the audience, allowing for moments of interaction between the two parties.
Oliver Hudson, the actor who played Mr. Green, recounted his experience with acting in such a small space: “[the experience felt like] film acting. You can have smaller, more subtle movements. On stage, like musicals and big production stages, you have to be a lot bigger [with your movements] to get your point across, but still in a realistic way. Clue is more where you can do subtle things.”
However, it took more people than the actors to coordinate this production. Kenna Seegmiller was one of them, working as an assistant stage manager. “There was a call for just [people to work] design in general. That’s where props, scenic, lights, sound, and costuming came in. I was like, ‘ooh, I love stage managing. Why not?’ But the deadline had actually passed. I asked, ‘hey, can I still apply?’ And they went, ‘Sure.’ And so I applied, because this is actually going to be my last show that I get to do at UVU. I got an email and it said, ‘Congrats, you’re in Clue!’ And I went, ‘What?’ I knew this was a very sought out show. All the theater majors couldn’t just stop talking about it because Clue, especially being in a house like this, was such a good opportunity that nobody could pass it up.” Seegmiller, along with stage manager Natalie Kuhni, are in charge of making sure actors, props, and scene cues are all coordinated.
Another person helping behind the scenes is Lydia Curtis, the show’s costume designer. “I grew up watching the movie and playing the game. The movie meant a lot to me and my family, there are just so many funny lines and stuff. When Clue showed up, I was like, ‘well, I have to do Clue. It’s like my childhood.” Lydia took costumes from UVU’s costume shop and customized them for each character in the show. “I feel like sometimes my costumes only look good when the actors feel good. It means a lot to me that the character really comes alive through the costume. To have that exchange between actor and designer of finalizing [the costume], and realizing the entire character. I think that’s my favorite part.”
Furthermore, the entire production team tried to pay homage to the adaptations of Clue that came before them. “There are some things [in the Clue movie] that I’ve tried to pay tribute to,” Garrett Frazier, who played Wadsworth, explained. “I think some actors in our production have tried to also incorporate [tributes] because they’re so iconic, and I think we just needed to have them. You can’t do Clue without at least giving some homage to the movie because it’s such a cult classic. The play is based on the movie, which is based on the board game.”
You can see upcoming productions from UVU Theatre at: https://www.uvu.edu/arts/events/index.html#theatre
