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.

Tennessee sees "Death Of A Doornail" again

The Gem Players are bringing back those zany characters by popular demand in “Death of a Doornail,,” a mystery dinner theater event on Feb. 14, 15 and 16 at 6 p.m. at the historic L&N Depot in Etowah, Tennessee. Tickets include dinner and the show. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Gem Players office at 263-3270. Or visit their website Gemplayers.com

Stockbridge Valley Central centers on "Murder Me Always"

By: LEAH McDONALD, Dispatch Staff Writer
The Oneida Daily Dispatch
01/10/2008

STOCKBRIDGE Ny - "What's going on in here?" won't just be on the characters' lips as audience members have a chance to take part in the murder mystery action at Stockbridge Valley's dinner theater this weekend.

"It's definitely different than anything I've ever done before," said senior Irene Wasnik, 18, who plays undercover cop Trixie in Lee Mueller's "Murder Me Always." "It's quite an experience."

Director Kelly Meola said she chose this piece to give community members some exposure to "different types of theater they might not get in rural settings," and hopes the first-time event will become an annual one.

"I think they're going to love it," she said. "They'll be really entertained and surprised at how flawlessly the process goes."

The play is actually a play-within-a-play, in which the director is murdered while the company is giving a particularly bad performance of "Murder Me Always." Detective Joe Mamet, played by junior Matthew Misiaszek, 15, sets out to discover who the real murderer is, pulling the whole audience into the production.

"I like my part," said Misiaszek, who will be on stage for the first time in his theater career. "It's kind of like a 1960s detective with sort of corny lines."

Every time he comes on stage, for instance, he always asks "What's going on in here?" - usually because someone is passed out on the couch.

"It's different learning to interact with the audience," Wasnik said. "They get more involved with the play - there's audience interaction."

She explained how the cast members need to do a lot of character work because audience members will be invited to ask questions, and she and other cast members will have to answer in character. "I hope they ask questions we can answer."

Meola said the kids have been really excited about the play so far, however, especially with the "idea of doing something different."

"It's really fun," Misiaszek said.

The play will be Friday and Saturday, Jan. 11 and 12 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Tickets are $10 pre-sale and $12 at the door. The cost includes admission, a spaghetti dinner, dessert and beverages.

J.H. Rose High School Nails a Murder Mystery

The J.H. Rose High School Rampant Theatrical Company will present “Death of a Doornail,” a classic drawing-room murder mystery by Lee Mueller. The dinner-theater performances are at 6:30 p.m. today and Saturday in the Studio Theatre at J. H. Rose High School, 600 W. Arlington Blvd. Seating is limited, and tickets are available only in advance. All tickets are $15. Call 321-6277 for reservations.

"Getting Murdered In The Morning" at Niagara Falls Grand

At the Queenston Heights Restaurant location adjacent to The Brock Monument

Coming This October-November-December 2007

Call to book your date For the Murder Mystery

"I'm Getting Murdered In The Morning"

By Lee Mueller

Directed by Peter Borys

Murder Me Always in Lancaster PA

From Lancaster Online

This weekend, guests can try to solve a crime between courses during "Murder Me Always," a humorously outrageous production with over-the-top predictable characters — but an unpredictable murder.

"It's a campy show. It's fun," explains director Janet (pronounced Janette) Wood, a costumer and drama director at Columbia High School. Wood also directs the scripted Ghosts of Columbia Tour.

"You don't want to sit down to something heavy at dinner. This is light. The script's a hoot. We're not talking Shakespeare here, but we laughed ourselves silly our first read-through."

The show is a play within a play, Wood says, full of what she calls "stock characters."

"The self-involved ingenue, the gum-chewing femme fatale with no brain, the pompous host... It's classic," she says.

The play within the play runs into all kinds of glitches, but the showstopper is MURDER.

Motives are everywhere of course, but what about opportunity and weapon?

"The audience is invited to help solve the murder. There's a point in the play where people have the chance to question suspects and gather clues," Wood explains. But there's no pressure to participate if you don't want to, she assures.

Prizes will be awarded for correct guesses, however, so be sure to be alert during the production.

"Murder Me Always" will be staged in the lower level of one of Columbia's most recognizable buildings. In its long history, (it was built in the mid 1800s) 200 Locust Street has served in various capacities — as a shoe factory, saloon, church, pharmacy, post office, school, Civil War hospital and more.

Vested Theatre Company invests in Murder Me Always

from The News-Enterprise

ELIZABETHTOWN — The Vested Theatre Company is making a return to The Mulberry this weekend and are lightening things up after producing “Extremities.”
The group, including 11 cast members, will perform “Murder Me Always,” a murder-mystery by Lee Mueller for dinner theater at 8 p.m. today and Saturday.

Don Vest, owner of the company, said he has done murder-mysteries before, but none like this. “It’s a play within a play— people will imagine they have been invited as dinner guests,” he said.

After everyone has been served for dinner, the show will begin. It will include improvisation and audience participation, guessing who the murderer is.

The show is appropriate for all ages, though Vest said there may be some questionable language “every now and then.”

Tickets for the show are $25, and $20 for seniors and students. To purchase tickets or for more information call Vickie Grimes at The Mulberry at (270) 300-1743.