Clue-d In: Meet Student Director Latiyfa Fayzullaeva ’26

Clue is a fast-paced murder mystery comedy based on the classic board game and the cult 1985 film. It begins on a dark and stormy night, as six eccentric guests—Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Professor Plum—attend a mysterious dinner party at Boddy Manor. Packed with humor, surprises, and deaths, Clue is a hilarious play that keeps audiences laughing and guessing until the final curtain.

"Since she was a ninth grader, I have been impressed with Latiyfa's creativity, passion, and sincerity towards the process and the production. She values a well-crafted story, along with bringing a character to life. Clue is a very physical show with extensive blocking and timing, which can be very difficult even for a seasoned director, and I am proud of the work that Latiyfa has done to create one of the theater’s top shows, "said Geoff Brace, Film Teacher and Fall Play Faculty Director at Governor’s.

We sat down with Latiyfa Fayzullaeva ’26, the Fall Play’s Student Director, to learn more about the play and her experience directing it.

Tell me a little bit about yourself, your experience with theater at home and at Govs, and why you wanted to be a student director.

I’m a senior from Hudson County in New Jersey. I have loved theatre and drama since I was little, but I was always too shy and nervous to pursue it in my local public school. Once I arrived at Govs, I decided to finally do what I always wanted—I joined drama and never went back! Through the Govs theater program, I connected with the most wonderful and talented group of people, who inspired me to return every year. We are truly a great team.

What made you choose Clue for this year’s Fall Play?

I wanted to choose a play that would keep the audience on the edge of their seats one second and could make the stands erupt in laughter the next. I also considered the technicalities —estimating the number of actors joining us and the roles they would feel inclined to play. Thankfully, our 10-person play had a role for all 10 actors in our group!

How do you approach directing a play that’s both a mystery and a comedy?

It's hard to balance the two genres, but we decided to really lean into the play's comedy with bright costumes and comically large props. Despite that, we still set our characters in the predicament that they are in, and we worked really hard on our acting to make it as realistic as possible through the smallest gestures. There's a lot of screaming and horror in the play (I mean– six people die by the end!), so I encouraged actors to play a spooky scene as if they were living it and emulate the shock.

How do you balance staying true to the original while putting your own spin on it?

I will say —there were tons of scenes where actors felt they wanted to change a line or two while keeping its meaning. I prioritized the comfort of the actors in making sure that lines come as seamlessly as possible on show day, so I typically allowed it.

There are some inside references in the play that we wanted to include as well: for example, earlier this season, the tech crew asked if they could replace the candlestick weapon with a whisk. The presence of the whisk in our productions has been a yearly tradition for drama and tech (technical theater), and it's a fun easter egg for the audience to catch! I thought this was a wonderful idea and would not interfere with any technicalities. It’s things like this that make this play uniquely our own.

What’s been the biggest challenge in directing this production?

Our drama group is like one big circle of friends; we are always laughing, joking, and enjoying each other's company. One of my biggest challenges as a director was making sure that no one was left behind in memorizing lines and that we gave our 110% in every daily practice. It was a lot of work for all of us, but still a very rewarding process.

What has been the most rewarding part of directing so far?

Having the opportunity to lead such an awesome team and watching all of us grow from: “How could I ever memorize this many lines?!” to hitting every single line off-book is truly rewarding. I was happy that my worries at the beginning of the season were alleviated with great performance and energy from everyone. I had a great time collaborating with the set design and costume teams to truly bring this show to life and let my vision shine.

How do you manage leading your peers as a director?

When I step into the practice room or the stage, I put on what I call an imaginary “grown-up teacher face.” It allows me to feel the authority to lead conversations and set goals for my peers who are around the same age as me. I found it very daunting at first, but I settled into my role as the days went by. My “teacher face” isn’t afraid to stop actors in their delivery to make adjustments and gently remind everyone of my expectations for the play. The actors notice it too: some even go as far as calling me “ma'am” during practice! As soon as practice is over, I return to being my true silly self around my friends.

How have you been involved in the technical elements like set design, lighting, and costumes?

I helped our awesome costume designer, Bonnie Jean, choose our costumes. I made sure to communicate the actor’s wants and needs to the costume department to ensure everyone's comfort while performing. When it comes to tech, I wanted to allow stage managers and lead set designers to explore their ideas and push limits. Our tech crew is great and always much more informed about what is possible than I am, so I wanted to let them have fun with their design and not feel limited by my whole vision. When I saw the idea for our set, I was thrilled to see how unique and fun it was: A large hallway and door in the center, and the rooms that come in platformed layers behind and on top of each other– kind of like a large tiered cake! It’s a demanding set, but tech can do anything!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to direct next year?

Don't be afraid of your authority, but lead with kindness and understanding. Set expectations and never lose sight of your final goal. Be realistic with what is possible, but push limits. Be a good example for your actors– they absorb your energy. Be punctual, reliable, honest, and be the actor you want your peers to be.

What’s your favorite line or moment in the play?

There are SO many funny moments in the play that I just cannot pick one!

One of my favorite lines is an interaction between Wadsworth and Colonel Mustard:

Colonel Mustard: Is this [seat at the table] booked for you?

Wadsworth: Indeed, no, sir. I am merely a humble butler.

Colonel Mustard: And what exactly do you do?

Wadsworth: I buttle, sir.

One of my favorite moments in the play would have to be when a chandelier falls onto an unsuspecting victim of the unlucky world around him, Mr. Green. We decided that it would be safest for the chandelier to fall in slow motion, so we decided that in that moment, we would all move and speak in distorted slow-mo as the chandelier drops onto him.

Another funny (though quite grim) moment is when the jolly singing telegram girl arrives at the front door and is suddenly killed, not even two seconds into her song. The characters aren’t even shocked anymore after seeing so many deaths, so they just slowly close the front door, defeated.

Join us for the 2025 Fall Play, Clue, on Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8, at 8:00 p.m. in the Bergmann Theater in the Wilkie Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free.