CLUElesque by Simone

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TICKETS & INFO

MAY 25 - JULY 26, 2024

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VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY

MAY 25 - JULY 26 VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY Presents the WORLD PREMIERE of

CLUELESQUE

By Simone DON’T YOU THINK I COULD’VE BEEN, OH I DON’T KNOW, MZ. PEARL OR EGGSHELL, CREAM, VANILLA, BEIGE, IVORY, LINEN, ALABASTER, PORCELAIN-- MS. Off White CLUElesque, Act 1 This performance runs Act 1 - 60 mins Act 2 - 30 mins There is a 15 minute intermission between acts

WRITER / Simone DIRECTOR / Daz Weller and Simone CAST / Luke Allen - The Pool Boy Christopher Brown - Wordsworth Venus Cobb - Colonel Mushroom Dina Emerson - Mrs. Woodpecker Glenn Heath - Professor Prune Jackie Lakoudis - Ivet Karsyn Artemis Love - Ms. Off White Ali Vesey - Ms. Cherry Marcus Weiss - Mr. Grass BAND / Adam Dunson (Guitar/Vocals), Michaelangelo Henegan, Miranda Johnson, Micah Smith (Keys), Ryan Harrison, David Vincolo (Drums), Sam Knapp, Eric Runquist, Scott Teeple, Keegan Carter (Bass) SCENIC DESIGN / Whitney Lehn Meltz LIGHTING DESIGN / Marcus Randolf COSTUME & WIG DESIGN/ Jason Bennett ORIGINAL COSTUME DESIGN Asia Milburn SOUND DESIGN / Jake Harrell MUSIC SUPERVISOR / Isaac Tubb PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER / Jinay Reitze ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER / Gary Parlanti

Originally workshopped at The Space LV produced by Cheryl Daro.

SOUND TECHNICIAN / Toby Allen, Jake Harrell BURLESQUE CONSULTANT / Annette Houlihan Verdollino DANCE CONSULTANT / Tracey Correa SET CONSTRUCTION / Daz Weller, Jake Harrell, Gary Parlanti, Alex Tivis, Simone SCENIC ARTWORK / Barbara Jean HOUSE MANAGER / Ian Bousson BOX OFFICE / Alex Tivis

Vegas Theatre Company would like to thank the following people and organizations for their contributuions to the show: April Leopardi, Michael Radiff, Joe “Subshine” Harter, Heidi Rider, Tiger Martina, Allison Koroly, James Simpson, Danyel Arianna, Annette Verdolino, Grace Lusk, Christopher Keller, Kailey Tamarkin Little, Christopher Aguilar, Tracy Correa, Troy Heard and Majestic Reoertory Theatre, Ann-Marie Pereth and Joe Kucan, A Public Fit Theatre, Richard Brusky, Toby Allen, Christine Steele, Barbara Jean, Ian Bousson.

SIMONE Playwright

CLUElesque Playwright’s Note CLUElesque has been a work in progress for seven years now. What began as a six-person revue at a fondue joint in Auburn, Maine’s fifth largest city, has grown into this four-piece band, three-week run, two-act play, genre defying spectacle of nostalgia, sex appeal and good ol’ fashioned parody, based on my number one favorite film of all time, CLUE. I was around ten years old when I first saw the 1985 cult classic, and I fell in love immediately. The characters, the writing and the dark humor all watered the blossoming comic within me. I had never laughed so hard or been so enthralled with a movie before, and I began watching it on repeat. I’ve seen it countless times since and dubbed myself--and all the other superfans out there--a “CLUEhead.”

We are the people who can quote a majority of the movie--and will, at the drop of a chandelier! We finish each other’s favorite lines with the one that comes right after, and we know all the little details included by the creators (like how each guest pulls up in a car of their game piece color).

For me, the movie became a muse, informing my comedic style more than any other inspiration. My family and I love to quote things out of context, and CLUE, along with Happy Gilmore, Napoleon Dynamite and Homestar Runner, stands out as one of our more frequent sources. To make a long story short (too late!), I. LOVE. CLUE. And CLUElesque was created for the CLUEheads like me.

For those of you who have only ever played the game, have no fear.

If the bird’s-eye view mansion, process-of-elimination detective work, sneaking from tile to tile board game is your only connection to the material, you’ll love CLUElesque as well. Some of the easter eggs might be lost on you, but the familiar characters, rooms and weapons, the suspense of it all and your participation should nurture your nostalgia just as well. The game was a fun part of my childhood too, and certainly an inspiration for this production. See, I prefer sudoku to monopoly, and riddles to risk. Anything with a bit of mystery -something to solve--has always intrigued me, and I have brought that to this production as well. It is not just a parody of the film-there’s a game afoot as well.

And if you haven’t even played the game, the humor stands alone and is paired surprisingly well (if you ask me) with Burlesque. The Art of the Tease is all about the revelation, and the manner at which we expose ourselves.

With six characters on stage, all harboring skeletons in their respective proverbial closets, burlesque becomes the means by which we learn what’s literally and figuratively under the surface. Each act reveals a new body, but more than that, a new secret. Just as our clothing keeps certain parts of our body covered, the undressing will tell us who these characters are when no one is looking (all the while in view of everyone). This show really is a series of strange juxtapositions: it’s not quite a burlesque show, not quite a play, not quite immersive, and yet it is all of those things and more. A perfect show for Sin City.

I moved to Vegas in 2017 with this humble production in mind and over the years I’ve let it slowly evolve through a series of workshops, all spearheaded by the multi-talented producer and boss-babe Cheryl Daro. A smorgasbord of talented performers have contributed to it as well (where would I be without April Leopardi who’s attention, network and ideas gave CLUElesque such life early on?), and I am so grateful for each crucial contribution along the way. Luke Allen, the impressively dead body, has been flopping around for me since that first workshop, and Venus Cobb came on to the project soon after. It truly takes a village to raise a show, and this is no exception.

And with this first full production in swing, many more have joined the village, notably our creative and thoughtful magician-director, Daz Weller, who took a chance on me and has given this show a place to blossom.

Whitney Meltz designed a playful set, Asia Milburn’s costumes are sophisticated, diverse and stunning (not to mention complexly engineered for simple removal), and let’s all give a standing ovation for Jason Benett’s wigs.

If any one thing could steal this ensemble production, it would be all those wigs. And how about one more for the live band, playing arrangements and compositions by the impressive multi-instrumentalist (and soon-to-be daddy!) Isaac Tubb, who has been with this project for a couple years as well, helping turn the soundtrack into a character of its own.

And now it is time for the show. Enjoy it. Don’t take it too seriously but don’t miss the satire either - sexual politics, classism and wealth disparity, corruption and gun violence all hover over this dark comedy--they who have ears let them hear. Either way, sit back (if you can!) and keep your eyes peeled: you’ll be choosing the murderer tonight. The cast has no idea which of the six it will be, but you might. And if you’re wrong tonight, come back tomorrow: it’ll likely be someone else. Just like the movie. Just like the game. Just enjoy the show.

CB Aguilar and Jackie Lakoudis as Wordsworth and Ivet

Executive Artistic Director / Daz Weller Associate Artistic Director/ Simone FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Jessica Scheitler and the Financial Groove team MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Social Media Manager/ Karsyn Artemis Love Season Photographer / Taylor Pendelton Production Photographer / Richard Brusky Graphic Design / Daz Weller TICKETING & BOX OFFICE Box Office Manager / Roxanne Farrar PRODUCTION Technical Director/ Jake Harrell Construction and Maintenance/ Gary Parlanti Special Events Stage Manager / Amanda Peterson

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VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY

Stories that bring

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Producers Circle $5000-$9999 Dina Emerson & Keith Barker Cedar St The Barnard Foundation Designers Circle $1000-$4999 David Stalder Michael Roitman James Russell Erin Timrawi Terry Chi Ann C Pongracz & Mark R Cole Alexia Chen Cedar St Cast Circle 500-999 Russell and Brenda Frank Matthew Mancour Greg Gordillo Crew Circle 250-499 Timothy Richards Yvonne Weller Norma Saldivar Sherri Brewer Debora and Mark Barney Bob and Jeri Amblad Geoffrey Schafler Monica Johns Michael Naft Bleach Improv Suzanne Bergfalk Nancy Hunterton Jason Jorjorian Pam McGaha

THANK YOU

ARTISTIC & PROGRAMMING

23-24 DONORS

VEGAS THEATRE COMPANY BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michael Roitman (Chair), Ann C. Pongracz (Vice-Chair), Greg Gordillo (Treasurer), Jessica Scheitler, Levi Fackrell, Terry Chi, Alexia Chen, Alex Raffi.

Friends Circle 100-249 Brooke Jordan Matthew Fox Kelly Hawes Sue Christensen Henry Lichtenberger Joanna Wilson Carol Leonard Hilary Katz Ann-Marie Pereth Adam Kilbourn Steven Biggs Barbara Brennan Margaret Plaster Michael Red Earth Joe Basso Sue Silva Jacob Moore Norm Kresge Wesley Hirni Jim Hrudicka Judith Jenner Jami Jones Marcia Godinez If you or someBarbara King Marianne Donnelly one you know James Rosman Nadia Wiechmann is interested Stacia Larsen Anna Arphan in donating or Joyce Lush Saundra Durgin volunteering, we Kim Faubel M Susan Danielewicz have many Elizabeth Brown Swadeep Nigam opportunities Billy Rowles Laurie Scheitler Joan Israel available. Email Eliane Stevens Adriana Banchik us at Anna Peltier Torrey Russell Michelle Mark Rimler info@theatre.vegas Johnathon Fayeghi