Selah Theatre Project Opens New Winchester Home With ‘Clue’

After 15 seasons of performing in borrowed and rented spaces around the region, Selah Theatre Project is preparing to open the doors to a permanent home in downtown Winchester.

The Winchester-based nonprofit theater company will open the Vivienne L. Jackson Sanctuary for the Arts, located at 302 N. Braddock St. in the former First United Methodist Church, with a production of the comedy-mystery “Clue.” Performances are scheduled for Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18.

The opening marks a major change for Selah, which has spent its first 15 seasons operating as a “roaming” theater company. It has staged productions in different locations throughout the region rather than in its own theater.

The new space, commonly called VLJ, comes after years of planning, fundraising, and community partnerships. Selah plans to use the building for its own productions while also making it a gathering and performance space for other members of Winchester’s arts community.

“Clue” was not originally expected to be the first show performed in the new venue.

Selah had planned to open the space with “Come From Away,” but construction and utility delays led the company to change its Season 15 calendar. “Come From Away” has now been moved to May 2027.

Instead of waiting to open the new building, Selah moved “Clue” up on its schedule, making it the first production performed in the company’s permanent home.

Bleu Do’zia, Selah’s founding artistic director and director of “Clue,” said the comedy gives the community a chance to experience the new space together in a lighthearted setting.

“For fifteen seasons, Selah Theatre Project has made home wherever a community would have us: borrowed stages, borrowed rooms, borrowed grace,” Do’zia said. “Opening VLJ’s doors with ‘Clue’ is a chance to say come laugh with us first.”

Do’zia said the choice also contrasts with some of the more serious subjects that have been part of Selah’s work over the years.

“Before we ask you to sit with the harder stories we tell, we wanted this space’s first breath to be joy, a room full of neighbors, guessing wrong together,” Do’zia said. “This building is ours now, and it’s rooted in this community. ‘Clue’ is just the doorway in.”

Based on the Hasbro board game and the 1985 movie of the same name, “Clue” brings the familiar murder-mystery suspects to the stage for a fast-moving comedy filled with secrets, accusations, and mistaken assumptions.

The cast includes Charley Carfrey as Miss Scarlet, Robert Elson as Colonel Mustard, Joanna Schilling as Mrs. White, Jack Benner as Mr. Green, Paige Ulevich as Mrs. Peacock, and Jacob Reed as Professor Plum.

Asher Fincham will play Wadsworth, the butler at the center of the story. Alyssah Rodgers will appear as Yvette, Jasper Simpson as Mr. Boddy, Danielle Juratovac as the Cook, and Owen Uhry as the Cop. Claire Benner serves as understudy.

The production also carries added meaning following the death of actor Tim Curry in August at age 80. Curry originated the role of Wadsworth in the 1985 film, which developed a strong following in the decades after its release. Selah views its production as a tribute to the actor as the company introduces the story to audiences in its new home.

The opening of VLJ represents more than adding another performance venue for Selah.

Having a permanent location will give the company a dedicated place to rehearse, perform, and develop its programming after years of adapting productions to different venues. Selah also envisions the building as a space where community groups and arts partners can gather and present their own work.

The milestone arrives during Selah’s 15th season, which carries the theme “We Are Rooted.”

Selah describes itself as a socially conscious theater company focused on bold and issue-driven storytelling. Its work includes original productions as well as established plays and musicals. The nonprofit also operates Upstage Acting Academy, a youth conservatory program for young performers.

For “Clue,” Friday performances will begin at 7 p.m.; Saturday performances will be held at either 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.; and Sunday performances will be at 2 p.m.

The production runs Oct. 9-11 and Oct. 16-18 at the Vivienne L. Jackson Sanctuary for the Arts, 302 N. Braddock St., Winchester.

Tickets and additional information are available at selahtheatreproject.org/season.