At 90 minutes long, “Clued In: An Invitation to Die For” is quite a feat of improvisational theatre. There are no props, no script, no intermission, just the creativity and imagination of the actors.
“We don’t know what’s happening in the show,” cast member James Dugan said. We’re creating the story on the fly. We don’t know who the murderer is, either.”
The improv troupe High Stakes Productions has performed a 45-minute rendition of “Clued In” for a number of years, and this October teamed up with The Second City to perform a Halloween version of the show at The Second City’s UP! Comedy Club in Chicago. Each show, a rotating cast of six actors from the High Stakes Productions ensemble perform.
To make the show feel more Halloween-themed, it is structured using a classic Agatha Christie device: All of the improvised characters receive a mysterious invitation, said Simon Tessmer, an ensemble member. Props also contribute to the spooky theme.
The performance begins with a brief explanation of how the show will work. Then, the audience is asked to toss out ideas for a setting (the Oct. 10 show revolved around a murder at the Olympics). Over the years, the cast has had some strange suggestions.
“Think of any fast food restaurant — we’ve done it,” said Dugan, who’s also solved “murders” at an amusement park, space station, submarine, the moon and even Antarctica. “That one was really fun,” he said.
Once the setting is determined, a cast member is chosen at random to be the detective. Another cast member gives an opening monologue sketching out and developing the premise. From there, the cast makes up the story as they go along. Given the show’s 90-minute runtime, keeping track of intricate details, like character names and backstories, can get tricky.
“What we’ve been practicing is ways that we can help out the detective … things like repeating names as much as we can, or reiterating big moments, or even just reacting in big ways to each other to give more of these moments impact,” Dugan said.
A live musician lends the show extra depth, underpinning plot twists with subtle musical cues via violin, cello and piano.
One of the show’s most brilliant aspects is the flashback bells hung around the stage within reach of the cast. Each time a bell is rung, cast members must act out a flashback of whatever event was just described. The bells are the source of the show’s funniest moments, as cast members gleefully ring the bells to make each other act out unexpected and hilarious scenes.
“Improv is a team sport,” said cast member Paige Maney.
She said she thinks that good improv is based on trust between cast members and knowing she can count on other cast members to support her.
It’s easy to see that the cast members are enjoying themselves; Their enthusiasm is infectious.
“When you make an audience laugh,” Dugan said, “that’s like nothing in the world.”
The Halloween version will run until the end of October: Thursdays at 8 p.m and Sunday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
X: @sashadm27
Related Stories:
— Review: Second City mixes the absurd and the topical with “Do You Believe in Madness?”
— A guide to Northwestern’s vibrant comedy scene
— The Mee-Ow Show Fest celebrates comedy group’s 50th year
