“Not a Clue,” the 2017 Muse Project, may have just been the best performance ever performed in Verser Theater. Surprisingly enough, this project had no script. With a basic outline, the actors improvised the whole play each night, making them not only incredible actors, but also hysterical ones.
After walking in to see the show for the first time, I was a little nervous about what I had just gotten myself into. The set, which was expertly manipulated by the crew, was perfect. Every piece of the set, including the casket, combined and made you truly feel as if you were in an old haunted mansion. The lighting also contributed to this effect, with there even being the outline of a window on the floor of the stage. The whole show took place during a thunderstorm, which the light and sound crew also made seem as real as possible. Needless to say, I was afraid that I was about to be scared out of my mind when the lights went out and came back on with Mr. Nobody (Andy Henderson) in the coffin.
However, the show was quite the opposite, and I don’t believe there was a moment when there wasn’t a smile on my face. I “ugly laughed” the whole time. This show was not just funny, it was rolling-on-the-floor, slap-your-knee hysterical.
Each actor on stage, including the one in the coffin, contributed to this show being the funniest one I have ever seen. However, I did have a few favorites.
First, there was Kayla Walker, who played Mrs. Berry. Having seen it two different times, the first and the last night, I thoroughly enjoyed her performance in the latter of the two. In this performance, she broke a glass and it shattered all across the floor. While I believe that this was not planned, her reaction to this was the best part of the show. She lost it! In fact, I think she may have been laughing more than the audience. Walker played it off fantastically, saying she was sure that imaginary people in black costumes would come pick up her mess.
My other favorite performances were by David Hudson and Kenzie Osborn. Their characters had the best chemistry of them all. With this chemistry also came some promiscuous activity that was a shocker on a Ouachita stage. Hudson’s character, a botanist named Professor Pansy, was nerdy with some funny characteristics of his own. One of these characteristics was snorting while laughing. This paired with Kenzie’s character, Ms. Phoenix, made the show completely worthwhile. Osborn also played her seductive character perfectly, having an old Hollywood accent and a long Cruella de Vil cigarette in hand. These characters made the show both nights with a kiss that came out of nowhere. The long awkward embrace summed up the comedy for the whole show.
Every second of this show made the audience laugh, and there was never a dull moment. All I want to do now that it’s over is chant, “ENCORE!”
By Ethan Dial, Staff writer
