5Q: Clue

The cast members of Clue falling through a door on stage.
Courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse; photo by Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade

The most recognizable whodunit murder mystery makes its national tour premiere in Minneapolis at the historic Orpheum Theatre. Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a new play that is full of as much laughter as murder and blackmail.

When six guests assemble at Boddy Manor and their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. John Shartzer will take the stage as Mr. Green, a State Department employee and a closeted gay man during the height of the Lavender Scare.

Are you the whodunit type? Are you drawn to mysteries or the type to guess the plot twists in movies as you’re watching?

Am I a whodunit type? Hmm… I can be. Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Great British Bake Off (can I get an amen?). But if I am watching a mystery, no, I’m not the type to guess the twists. I like going along for the ride.

Left to right: Sarah Hollis as Miss Scarlet, Alex Mandell as Mr. Green, Kathy Fitzgerald as Mrs. Peacock, Donna English as Mrs. White, Michael Kostroff as Professor Plum, and John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard.
Courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse; photo by Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade

It seems like everyone has a memory of Clue, either the board game or the 1985 film. What memories or connection do you have with this story and the characters?

I definitely remember watching the movie when I was a kid. I remember liking it, for sure. I believe it ranked high on the rewatchability scale. You know, memory isn’t quite what it used to be now that I’m an old man. I did get the chance to work with Michael McKean, who plays Mr. Green in the movie, on an episode of Grace & Frankie!

I was sandwiched between Michael and Lily Tomlin and I remember—well…not much cause I blacked out from standing in between Michael McKean and Lily Tomlin—but I remember Michael being very kind. It was amazing to watch him work. Such a great actor. And whistler. I heard him whistling on the way to the set, and I’ve never heard a better whistle in my life.

What’s your favorite moment in the show? Why?

This is a tough one to answer without giving too much away! I think I’m going to dance around that by saying any time we travel through Boddy Manor. Yeah, any time we are moving through the manor, as a group, I think it’s safe to say I’m having a good time. We do some fun things. It doesn’t hurt that there’s underscoring from the brilliant Michael Holland. What his music does for creating a mood and elevating a scene, it’s…to die for.

Back row (L–R): Michael Kostroff as Professor Plum, John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard, and Alex Mandell as Mr. Green; front row (L–R): Sarah Hollis as Miss Scarlet, Donna English as Mrs. White, and Kathy Fitzgerald as Mrs. Peacock.
Courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse; photo by Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade

With Mr. Green depicted as a closeted gay man in the 1950s, there is a lot to unpack and embody as an actor. How do you approach that nuance?

I think it’s very similar for all the guests of Boddy Manor. We have a secret that we desperately would like to stay secret. For Green, a man working for the government in the 1950’s during the Lavender Scare…the stakes are high. Outing him would certainly risk his job and/or worse. So my approach is to keep the stakes high, from the beginning. And then people start dying and I freak out.

How did you go about researching and coming up with your version of Mr. Green? Did you learn anything interesting about him in your research and study of him?

Well…I played Green in 2021. I was in a regional production of Clue at La Mirada Theatre, out in California. Also, directed by the brilliant Casey Hushion. I’d say my Mr. Green came out of that rehearsal process. So it’s all Casey’s doing. And Sandy Rustin’s script! You read it and you think, “OK, I know exactly who this person is,” just in the way she speaks for him. If Mr. Green was a ship, Sandy is the water and Casey is the wind in the sails!

Oh, and did I learn anything about Mr. Green? Yes…he loves epsom salt baths.

Thanks for chatting! Come to Boddy Manor, it’s a killer show!


Clue runs at the Orpheum Theatre from February 27March 3. For more information and to purchase tickets, head to www.hennepintheatretrust.org.

Lavender Magazine Logo White

5100 Eden Ave, Suite 107 • Edina, MN 55436
©2024 Lavender Media, Inc.