‘Get A Clue’ Preview: A Brand New Whodunnit

Greed, murder, and catchy musical numbers will transport audiences to glamorous 1920s New York City in the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s upcoming production of “Get A Clue.” The original musical, written by Olivia F. Data ’26 and composed by Preston C. Bushnell ’26, will be free to attend from Nov. 13 to 16 at the Loeb Ex.

Following last October’s “Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge, and Assless Chaps,” “Get a Clue” will be Data and Bushnell’s second original musical comedy to be put on by the HRDC. The plot follows Detective Charles Fowler (Will P. Cottiss ’28), a widower who is seemingly oblivious to the advances of his secretary, Maeve Caffrey (Cassidy C. Crabb ’28). When a case of missing diamonds quickly escalates, the two become tangled up with a band of seemingly unrelated characters, and amidst a frenzy of finger-pointing, Detective Fowler must unravel the mystery to find the real culprit. The only problem? Everyone is a suspect with something to hide.

“It’s a murder mystery full of intrigue and comedy and twists and turns that’ll keep [the audience] riveted for two hours,” Cottiss said.

The thrilling plot of this never-before-seen production is bound to keep audiences engaged, while the opportunity to be one of the first to see the show will make for a truly unpredictable experience.

“I think there’s always something wonderful about seeing original things that are made here. If you come to this show, you can be sure this is the first time you’re ever gonna see it. It’s the world premiere,” said George S. Atkin ’28, who plays self-proclaimed French author Pierre Alerieux.

Getting to shape an original production has been a special experience for the actors as well, who have the freedom to be creative and “slip little moments of improvisation” into their acting, according to Atkin. Crabb has also enjoyed helping Data and Bushnell “bring their vision to life” in a collaborative rehearsal process.

“That’s been really fun to sort of develop the characters side by side, and have everybody interacting in a way that feels very much real, as kind of false as the characters are,” Atkin said.

But it’s not just the clever storyline and exciting originality that make this show worth seeing. Atkin added that the intimate venue of the Loeb Ex allows the audience to be up close with the actors and truly feel like they are a part of the action. Audience members will feel as though they’re investigating the mystery right alongside Detective Fowler, questioning their own suspicions with each new revelation.

Moreover, the bonds actors have formed during the production process are reflected in the natural way they interact with each other on stage. Cast members agreed that they’ve enjoyed working as part of such an intimate group — Crabb admitted that she and her co-stars have even had “maybe a little bit too much fun” together at rehearsals.

“I’ve got to meet some really amazing people. I mean, the cast, even though there’s only six of us, there’s people from all of the years of undergrad studying — I study Music and TDM, but there’s Neuroscience, Econ, there’s just people from kind of all walks of life,” Cottiss said.

Because it is an original story, those eager to find out how the mystery unfolds must see “Get A Clue” firsthand — and the immersive, twisty experience promises to have them laughing out loud.

In Cottiss’ words: “And it’s also free. And who says no to something free?”

“Get A Clue” runs at the Loeb Ex from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.