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  • 1.  Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-19-2017 13:52
    Our Thespian troupe does a fundraiser play in the spring and this year we want to do a murder mystery dinner theatre.  Does anyone have a suggestion for a good show with audience interaction??  It needs to have a flexible or minimal set as our venue has no stage and we want to keep costs as low as possible.
    Thanks for your help! 
    Angie Bin
    Fort Scott High School Thespian Director


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    Angie Bin
    Fort Scott KS
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  • 2.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-19-2017 14:33
    The one's I've done that were fun and went well

    Eclipsed
    Last Will and Testament
    Boardwalk Melody Hour Murders

    Two I did with a small elevated stage, the other in a band room.  No sets other than a few chairs, a few props, that's it.  We loved it and had a blast!

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    Jennifer Miguel
    Hampton, VA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 07:10
    The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens  It even has food references.  We did a pre-show dinner with the mentioned food as a fundraiser.  It went over well.  Big section in Act II where the detective opens up questioning to the audience and each character has to respond to whatever is asked in character.  A good study for the actors, too.

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    Dorothea Hackett
    DuBois PA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 07:11
    My friend has been writing murder mysteries for years and has a pretty large catalog.  I have performed a couple of them, although I have yet to use one as a fund raiser.  Go to www.mysteriesbymoushey.com and check out her list of mysteries.



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 08:40
    We have performed a "Mystery by Moushey" for over a decade now.  Quite cheesy, very fun.  Actually a great opportunity for students to handle character-based improv.  I highly recommend! 

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    [William] [Myatt] [Director of Theatre]

    [Pleasant Valley High School]

    [myattw@pleasval.k12.ia.us][563-332-5151][Bettendorf][IA][USA]
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 08:57
    We just did Murder Me Always by Lee Mueller this past fall and it was so much fun. Best show I've ever done hands down! So many opportunities for improv and characterization. The audience was highly involved and engaged and we had so many positive comments about the quality and style of the show. It's also really inexpensive and Lee is very helpful with any questions you may have

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    Lisa Singleterry
    Drama Director
    Gresham OR
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 10:54
    I Second Lee Mueller. We've done two of his plays- I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning and Stay as Dead as You are. Lots of fun!

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    Kerry Bollenbach
    theatre teacher/director
    Barnegat NJ
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-20-2017 16:29
    I really enjoy doing 

    The Murderous Mansion of Mr. Uno

    A deadly comedy
    by
    Don Zolidis

    It has fun characters and 11 possible endings. Your audience votes on the ending and that's the one you do. 
    We used pennies painted red with a far for each character. We give the audience members a red penny and they put it in the jar for the person they believe "did it" and we weigh the jars at the end of intermission. Put the answer in an envelope and we have someone from our cast or understudy elaborately open and read the envelope, then the actors act that out. 


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    Kathy Cox
    Silver Spring MD
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-21-2017 21:44
    Last year we did Last Will & Testament. It was very interactive and very fun. Set is super simple (a couple of tables), and a few important props (flask, cough medicine bottle, a pill bottle and pills--we used tic tacs-- and a Bible and your good to go.)

    http://www.histage.com/playdetails.asp?PID=1123

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    Sheryl Davis
    Secondary Language Arts/Drama Director
    Sanford NC
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Murder Mystery suggestions?

    Posted 01-23-2017 08:03
    Want to also recommend mysteriesbymoushey; we're getting ready to stage 'Talent at the Trouble Show' with my Improvisation class because, as a previous poster highlighted, there's ample opportunity for performers to be interacting with the audience and improvise in character throughout. Yes, they're a little cheesy, but it's pitched just right, and there are some really funny bits.

    What I also highly appreciate about the company is that they send out a production manual with your first production, which gives you all sorts of helpful hints and ideas on how to produce a dinner theatre piece, with suggestions on how to administer the audience interaction part, when/how to serve the meal (if applicable), and all that. Which for new-to-dinner-theatre producers is an absolute necessity!

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    Phillip Goodchild
    Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
    Ruskin FL
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    Original Message


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