Vail Students Build Sets for 'Clue' Stage Adaptation

Aspen —"Whether performing onstage and fully stepping into a character or working behind the scenes to design and build sets, students have learned to trust their abilities, take creative risks and contribute their individual talents to a larger vision."

That is Christi Howell’s assessment of the Upper School Standard Play class, and it lands with a specific weight this weekend. The school is presenting "Clue," the whodunit board game adapted for stage, and they are doing it with a crew of 23 students ranging from tenth through twelfth grade.

For context, this isn’t a professional touring company with a $50,000 budget and a dedicated set designer. This is a high school class in Vail that picked their own show after exploring comedies, dramas, and mysteries. The production is a collaborative effort where the same students who are memorizing lines for Professor Plum or Miss Scarlet are also the ones building the sets and gathering props.

Howell, the theatre director at Vail Mountain School, noted that the play’s "familiar storyline" makes it appealing to audiences of all ages. She described the production as "filled with humor, mystery and memorable characters." The script hinges on the classic suspects: Professor Plum with a wrench in the library, Miss Scarlet with a candlestick in the ballroom, or Col. Mustard with a revolver in the dining room.

The process has been running since September. Once the class selected "Clue," they moved through auditions, cast announcements, and rehearsals focused on character development. Simultaneously, the backstage team began designing sets and preparing technical elements. It is a heavy lift for a student body that likely has AP classes, extracurriculars, and the general chaos of high school life to manage.

One student captured the social reality of the project, noting that while finding a career path is part of it, "what I’ve gained the most... is just amazing friendships, a very close family, and people who understand me."

That sentiment matters. Theatre programs in private schools like Vail Mountain School are often viewed as enrichment, a soft skill to pad a college application. But the labor involved is tangible. Twenty-three students are splitting their time between on-stage performance and behind-the-scenes construction to pull off a production that requires complex set changes and character interactions.

The show is happening this weekend at the school. If you are looking for a low-stakes evening out, it is a reasonable option. You get to watch local teenagers tackle a classic mystery script and help guess the murderer. It is not Broadway, but it is Vail’s own version of community theater, built by the kids who live here.

The practical bottom line: tickets are likely available through the school’s channels, and your money goes directly to a private school program that relies on community support. You are buying an evening of entertainment from 23 students who just spent months building the stage they’re standing on.