Squires On Stage

Game Night

By Nancy J. Duffy

Is it Col. Mustard with the candlestick in the library? Or, is it Mrs. Peacock with a rope in the dining room? Or, is it Miss Scarlet with a lead pipe in the lounge? It has to be Professor Plum with a wrench in the kitchen, doesn’t it? These are the very questions that kept the audience guessing the weekend of Nov. 4-6 during Delone Catholic’s production of the murder-mystery board game “Clue.”

Directed by Gabi Cranga ’17, the dramedy captured the imagination of the audience of what it meant to succeed in 1954 America at the height of McCarthyism, the rising popularity of Elvis, and the beginning of desegregation.

A Twist on Tradition

The Parker Brothers game of the late 1940s came alive with the true elements of theater: colorful costumes, intricate sets, and extraordinary characters who were all suspects in the murder of the manor’s owner, Mr. Boddy. However, for the Delone Catholic Players, with multiple murders and multiple suspects, “everything was bigger,” according to Riley Slee ’24, who played Mrs. Peacock, “the sets, the costumes, the props, the comedy.” For Emily Flynn ’24, in the role of Miss Scarlett, it was also personal. “Growing up in a board game-loving family,” explains Flynn, “‘Clue’ was something that became very important.” And for Slee, it was “nostalgic to revisit some childhood memories” in bringing her favorite game piece to life.

Most of the characters took to the stage one by one through their arrival at Boddy Manor. The singular introduction brought so much “confidence and power” for the actors according to Flynn, and allowed each character’s personality to be scrutinized by the audience and be assessed as to their capability of murder.

Justin Smith ’23 delighted as the colorful, witty Mr. Green while Maggie Murray ’24, cleverly dressed in all black, surprised as the condescending Mrs. White. Josie Schussler ’25 tried to keep order as the no-nonsense Cop along with Col. Mustard played perfectly by Jacob Fleming ’23. Junior Laurence Derkasch’s portrayal of the puzzled Prof. Plum humored the audience while Aubrey Dittmar ’23 personified chaos and comedy as Yvette, the French maid. Rowan Dorsey ’23 was captivating as the mysterious and maniacal Wadsworth, the Manor’s butler. The fast pace, witty jokes, and interactions among characters were natural which comes only from a commitment to hours of rehearsal, marking places, and running lines.

Technically Speaking

Behind every great stage performance is an even greater tech crew and the production of “Clue” was no exception. With the largest cast and crew in recent Delone history, sound director Joey Chirillo ’23, was met with some interesting problems of his own to solve. A sizeable, moving cast can cause “harder-to-track feedback,” explains Chirillo, and “Clue” introduced the crew to sound cues, just a week before opening night, which was the most “challenging aspect” of the fall production. Under the general guidance of Keefer Stiles ’23, the technical director, all the audience saw was well-run production. With his extensive experience at The Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, Stiles’ leadership extends to all aspects of a performance: sight, sound, and stage. Paige Bruton ’26 understands that the stage crew has to “make sure everything goes how it should, that actors don’t forget their lines, and set pieces are in the exact right spot.” Even though it was her first production, there is nothing like teamwork to make a job run smoothly. Bruton and Lily Shriner ’23 worked tirelessly backstage to make sure all pieces and props were perfectly in place.

Teamwork is a Delone Catholic tradition. Even with Stiles, Shriner, and Chirillo graduating, the excellence of the tech team will continue. Chirillo learned from his predecessor, Griff Kotlinkski ’22, and is extending the mentoring to Keira Slonaker ’26, who has been invaluable to the sound team during her first production. Learning how to operate new equipment, training new members, and working with a large cast is all part of the theatrical experience; however, for Chirillo, it has taught the “values of persistence and patience” and an experience of working with “technology and design,” and memories that will last long after the final curtain.

The cast of characters revealed the risks people took to get ahead in this perfect blend of terror and comedy. Whether it was Mrs. Peacock with the rope in the dining room or Prof. Plum with the wrench in the kitchen, without a doubt it was the Squire Players on stage in the Delone Gym, with an abundance of talent.

Speech and Debate: Back in Action

After a hiatus from in-person competitions, Delone Catholic’s Speech and Debate Team is up and running - toward success. Under the guidance and mentorship of Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Knechtmann, the team of 18 active members has been excelling in the areas of oral interpretation, duo interpretation, humorous interpretation, informative, and congressional debate.

The biggest tournament to date was the Pennsbury Invitational near Philadelphia. The students competed against some of the top speakers and debaters in the nation. And they learned so much.

For Victoria Staub ’24, Pennsbury was an “eye opener for our whole team” and a bit intimidating; however, one of the biggest takeaways from the day was learning that success comes from “being pushed out of your comfort zone.”

The benefits of Speech and Debate far outweigh the long drives to out-of-state competitions and the long hours of practice. Whether “speaking in front of a crowd, persuasion, or even writing a speech,” explains Kali Hilfiger ’26, “all of these skills are learned on this team.” Classmate Collin Kuhn ’26 concurs. Speech and debate “help improve your diction and [overcome] the fear to perform in front of others.”

The DCHS Speech and Debate Team are members of the National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL), the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), and the Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL). The team currently has seven members of the NSDA Honor Society and a few more who are close to earning membership in the next few tournaments.

All the Right Notes

Friday Night Lights would not be complete without the sounds of Delone Catholic’s Marching Band. Under the guidance of Mr. Brian Yealy ’79, the members performed this year’s theme ‘Into the Light,” featuring “Shine Bright,” “Chant,” and “Into the Clouds” with precision and enthusiasm. Preparation takes place completely outside of the regular school day including twiceweekly rehearsals in June, a five-day band camp in July, then continuing once-weekly practices in the fall.

“Students must master both the music and the drill (marching maneuvers) for a field show,” explains Yealy. “A larger staff is involved to assist with creating, teaching, and perfecting the show.”

Whether providing music throughout the quarters to supporting the cheer team’s routines and chants, the Delone Catholic marching band is essential to the overall spectator experience. Similarly, Advent would not be as spirited without the Christmas Concert performed on Dec. 19 with an abridged performance for the student body on Monday, Dec. 20. Yealy and his wife, Lynn ’84, work tirelessly to find music that their respective ensembles have not yet performed, delighting audiences with fresh music year after year.

Some of Yealy’s favorite pieces from this year’s concert included “Groovin’ Kings Three” by the Junior Band, “Christmas With You,” by the chorus, and “I Saw Three Ships With Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” featuring the senior high percussion section.

“To me,” reflects Yealy, “the whole Christmas season, and the Christmas Concert in particular, is a magical time and the music is a big part of the magic.”

We couldn’t agree more.