Murder Mystery Double Feature - Twice

Recently I have had the honor of being a double feature, twice. What I mean, is that one theatre group has staged two of my plays at the same time. Last month, Lawrence High School in Lawrence Kansas ran Some Show (about a Murder) and Dead Air. One play takes place during a low budget cable TV show and the other takes place during a Radio broadcast. Charles Goolsby, theatre director at Lawrence High talked to me about the concept of doing both plays on the same set. I thought it was a great idea. Each show ran alternating nights. In essence, a double feature.

This month (December) it is happening again. West Valley High School in Hemet,California is featuring Death Of A Doornail and To Wake The Dead using the same basic set.

Here is a news article about the event:

By DIANE RHODES
Special to The Press-Enterprise

Murder and mayhem are not typical dinner table topics, unless you are a guest at the West Valley High School Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.

As part of the event, guests will dine on roast turkey, mashed potatoes and vegetables from Greg's Catering in the banquet hall, which is the temporarily transformed band room.

Then, they will be escorted to the theater to watch the first half of an interactive murder mystery. During intermission, guests return to the banquet hall for dessert and coffee and a chance to discuss all the clues they have witnessed. After returning to the theater, they will be able to question the suspects and try to name the killer. Prizes will be given for correct guesses based on a random drawing from a basket of all correct answers.

"This production was the idea of band and technical director TJ Hepburn," said Stacey Bailey, who is directing the program.

"He will be turning his band room into a mysterious banqueting hall reminiscent of the Haunted Mansion."

"Wake the Dead" is set at an Irish wake and "Death of a Doornail" takes place in a British drawing room setting.

Each play has about 12 characters and will be presented on alternating nights.

Christopher Malandrinos is dual cast and said his characters are pretty different.

"You have to really know your role and stay in character with accents and everything," said Christopher, 15. His role of Edward requires a British accent and Chief Wambaugh is Irish.

Students had to learn improvisation skills along with their lines so they can stay in character while answering audience questions and casting suspicion on their fellow actors.

"I've never done dinner theater before but I like it because it's straight up drama -- singing is not my strong suit," said Sarah Pettis, 15, who plays Inspector Bukowski in "Death of a Doornail."

Sara Barnes plays the exotic dancer and suspected killer Peaches Crabtree in "Wake."

"I'm a big fan of mysteries," said Sara, 15. "I like musicals a lot but with my passion for acting I just couldn't pass this up. It's a lot of work but it's worth it."

"I did a lot of research to find two plays that allowed me to use the same basic set," said Bailey. She said Hepburn, with help from Joe Hameister and Patty Chavez, designed a set for the banquet hall that is "over the top" and can seat 180 people.

Bailey hopes local businesses and organizations will use the whodunit as a holiday celebration -- a way to reward their staff and have fun together. A 10 percent discount is given for 10 or more tickets.

Cost is $25 per person or $45 for two people. All guests receive a complimentary copy of the production's memory book, which is a $15 value.

Performances are at 6 p.m. today, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the school's theater at 3401 Mustang Way in Hemet.

Information and reservations: 951-765-6420.

"Death of A Doornail " and "To Wake The Dead" in San Jacinto

Republished From San Jacinto California Vally Chronicle:

Whodunit? Audience will have to guess

VALERIE DEW / The Valley Chronicle
West Valley High School’s drama department will present ‘To Wake the Dead,’ which takes places at an Irish wake.

By VALERIE DEW/The Valley Chronicle

A man falls out of a window and dies. Or did he jump? Or, better yet, was he pushed?

A scorned wife’s husband is missing. Did she finish him off for cheating on her with Bambi Candy? Or was the girlfriend after his loot? Could it have been the maid?

It’s up to the audience to decide — and if they decide right, there could be a prize in it for them.

West Valley High School’s drama department is bringing its first-ever murder-mystery dinner to the San Jacinto Valley.

For years, Stacy Bailey, the school’s theater teacher, has been putting on murder-mystery dinners for her thespians.

“It’s their favorite party all year,” Bailey said.

This year, the group decided to go public with the mystery.

One of two shows will be presented each night Dec. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Bailey said they are not telling which show is on which night because they don’t want people who have already seen it to ruin it for others. With a prize given to an audience member who guesses the killer, the actors are being tight-lipped on the whodunit.

One show, “Death of a Doornail,” is a spoof on the old drawing-room murder mysteries.

Bailey said the show is cast with “stock characters,” such as the girlfriend of the dead man, Candy Bambi; the gangster and best friend of the victim, Sal Carbone; and the inspector on the case, Inspector Bukowski.

Shannon Walsh, who plays Candy Bambi, said the show is hilarious, especially her character.

“My character is super smartastical!” Shannon said. “I’m playing the dumbest character I’ve ever played. I’m insane, and it’s hilarious to watch me be crazy on purpose.”

Mrs. Abigail Doornail — the dead man’s wife — is played by Ashley Hassell.

Abigail said her character is over dramatic, which adds to the hilarity.

“I put my hand on my head a lot and say ‘Why, I never!’” Ashley said.

Sarah Pettis, who plays inspector Bukowski, said she enjoys interrogating the others because she does it in such a sarcastic manner.

Joey Gallardo, who plays Sal Carbone, said his character is obnoxious and that adds to the humor of the show.

The second show is “To Wake the Dead.”

It takes place at an Irish wake. The man who died jumped out of a window. Or fell. Or was pushed.

The cast tries to figure out which one of them did the deed, if, indeed, the deed was foul.

Bailey said she worked a lot with the cast on casting their suspicions on one another.

Sydni Bailey, who plays Deena Koontze, said her favorite part of the show is when it is revealed what happened.

Each show has four parts.

The audience will first eat a dinner of salad, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, and vegetables in the band room, which will be transformed into a banquet hall with a fireplace and creepy pictures.

After the meal, the audience will be ushered into the theater, where they will watch the production.

At intermission, the audience will go back into the banquet hall for coffee and desert.

When they return to the theater, the audience will have a chance to ask the cast questions to help solve the mystery.

Bailey said the cast will answer every question in character, so it’s an improv.

After the question-and-answer session, the audience will cast votes on whom they think the killer is. They will be broken up into groups depending on whom they picked.

Then the killer will be revealed.

After the mystery is solved, a cast member will pick a name out of the group of people who voted correctly. The person whose name is drawn will win a gift basket worth about $100.

Elizabeth Crowley, who plays Stephanie King, said the improv is what she is most looking forward to.

“I like to see who the audience thinks did it,” Crowley said.

Patricia Ayala, who plays Agatha C. Fletcher in “To Wake the Dead,” said she can’t wait for the characters interact with the audience.

“The characters have no idea who the murderer is,” Patricia said.

Sarah Barnes, who plays Peaches Marie Crabtree in “To Wake the Dead,” said her favorite part of the show is the question-and-answer session.

“I got my character down,” she said when asked if she was nervous about answering questions.

Bailey said the two-story set will resemble a haunted mansion.

T.J. Hepburn, West Valley’s band director, is pulling double duty as the set designer.

Tickets cost $25 or $45 for two. Bailey said reservations must be made at least three days before the show a person wants to attend.

During Thanksgiving week, no one will be available to answer the phone, but Bailey said messages will be checked for reservations.

Bailey said the murder-mystery dinner would be a perfect event for an office to attend as a holiday party. Groups of 10 or more will receive 10 percent off of the price.

Shows are at 6 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

For information, call the box office at 765-6420.

Woodland Friends "Wake The Dead"

From the Daily Democrat -Woodland, California

The Woodland Friends of the Library will present their 9th Annual Mystery Night, Silent Auction and Wine Tasting on Saturday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m.
The activities will at the Woodland Library and in the library's Leake Room. Prior to the start of the murder, mayhem and mischief, guests will be treated to wine and finger foods as they walk through the library gathering clues and bidding on some great silent auction items.

At 7:30 the curtain will rise on To Wake The Dead a hilarious murder/comedy play in the style of previous Mystery Night plays. The 12-member cast includes Councilman and Sheriff's lieutenant, Jeff Monroe; Planning Commissioner, Marti Dote; Insurance Agent, Jim Hilliard; Chief of Police, Carey Sullivan; Chamber of Commerce CEO, Kristy Wright; Yolo County Recorder, Freddie Oakley; Woodland Mayor, Dave Flory; Woodland Finance Director, Joan Drayton; Councilman Art Pimentel; City Manager, Mark Deven; and West Sacramento Mayor, Chris Cabaldon.

Directing this outstanding (and infamous) cast will be Woodland's own playwright/director, Sue Bigelow. Having had one of her plays open on Broadway last May ("Rose Colored Glass"), she should do a great job of keeping this unique cast on their toes and the laughs coming.

The audience will be totally involved in determining "who done it" as the cast goes to the wake of Fred Finnegan, a successful writer of mysteries and supernatural stories. Each cast member is a caricature of a famous mystery writer and dialogue is full of puns and clever comments (with the title being a play on James Joyce's novel, "Finnegan's Wake." At the conclusion of the play, the audience following the clues, will have a chance to determine the murderer and win a prize for "best detective."

Tickets go quickly and are limited, so be sure to order early. The cost is only $35. Make checks payable to Friends of the Woodland Library (or FOL Mystery Night). Indicate the number of tickets wanted, along with telephone number and e-mail for confirmation of receipt of your check. Mail checks to FOL, P.O. Box 545, Woodland, CA 95776. Envelope must be postmarked by March 1. After that date the tickets will be $40 and you can call for reservations at 666-2298 and pay for them at the door. Information will also be available on the City of Woodland Library site at City Of Wooland library under the Friends tab.