Carefree Village Resort decided to put on a Murder Mystery Dinner this year. I had no idea how these worked when I signed us up. Unfortunately, there was a mandatory meeting December 27, the day after our grandkids arrived, that I totally spaced. In fact, I didn’t think of it till we were driving home after taking the kids back on Jan 2. Even though I never heard a word from the activities director, I assumed we had been replaced by now. I sent a text to apologize for missing the meeting – and why, and that since we were presumably replaced that we’d watch for one next winter. She responded, “We wondered what happened to you–Next year!”
Well, about four days before the Murder Mystery Dinner we were asked to fill in for a couple who had to drop out. Barry did not want to do any acting – especially last minute, and on a stage in front of 100 people. Rich, who was directing the murder mystery, said Marilyn was willing to take the part of Gwynn Reaper, so I agreed to take what was originally listed for a guy to do, but really wasn’t a gender specific role.
My character was, Dr. Branch, a doctor of philosophy, but best known as a tree surgeon. I read through my character description, key facts, and motive, and set out the next day to find a suitable costume. I had mossy green running pants that would work, so I went to Walmart where I found the perfect gray scrub shirt, a surgical cap, and a toy doctor set. I already had the perfect surgical mask. Perfect!
We were having a run-thru Friday evening. It was really more of a chance for those attending to have a chance to walk up on the stage and use the microphone to hear their voice so as not to freak out in a few days. Not everyone came, and a few others were only present long enough to say their intro with the microphone. Then Rich, who was in charge and would double as the host and deceased person, ran through the order of the evening. There would be two rounds of “tapping” where two people would go to the”bar” to have a conversation. This is how/where you need to get out your key facts.
I was quite concerned about the informal, and unrehearsed tapping parts. A few people prepared and even practiced with a specific tap partner earlier. Marilyn and I decided we would tap together for the first round. We simply gave each other a question to ask. Since we had to make sure each character made it to “the bar”, I totally was winging it with the Olympic Swimmer (Kathy), and Flyson’s cook (Teresa). The night of the Murder Mystery Dinner, everything went much better than I expected.
As we walked toward the door to enter and head to the stage, all cast members drew a piece of folded paper from a container. If your paper had an X or said YES, you were established as the murderer. No one else knows. I wouldn’t mind being the murderer, but I was not. However, the majority of the tables voted me as the murderer! I did NOT give my guilty fact that I had replaced a fuse in the pump house. So, I decided to further their confidence in their incorrect vote by nonchalantly going down a step or two on the stairs near me to make it look like I was going to make a run for it. 🙂 It was fun.
When the inspector said he knew who the murderer was and that the person should just stand up and admit it. Since Ernest Carpenter and I were standing, we immediately crouched down. Skye Rider looked over and asked if I was going to stand up. I said, “No, I didn’t do it!” Then out of the blue the lawn bowler stood up. HE was the murderer!?! This shocked everyone. Did he get his key facts and motive out? No one heard anything he said that would have made him guilty. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
I think it would be fun to try a relatively short one-act play here, but have auditions to cast people for appropriate roles, actually memorize lines, and have scheduled rehearsals, etc. Or maybe I’ll watch for auditions at the Yuma Community Theater and go there.
Loved it!! Your amazing