Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2672
Printed Date: 11/26/24 at 9:40pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
Posted By: Nanette
Subject: Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre
Date Posted: 9/17/07 at 9:35am
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Before I spend the next six months searching, I thought I'd pose this question and see what you wonderful folks can come up with off the top of your heads.
It's been suggested that our children's theatre (ages 8-19) do a murder mystery dinner theatre production next season.
Our perameters:
I would welcome any and all suggestions. Thanks! ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Replies:
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 9/17/07 at 3:12pm
| I am in the process of creating an interactive adult murder mystery dinner theatre for our company (performance in October). In my opinion, the best bet is to create your own, but you need to know exactly how interactive you want it to be. The more interactive, the more difficult for younger children, as it tends to be all about having a solid character and improvising rather than memorization. Preconcieved online scripts (mostly for adults, as far as I can tell) seem to be running anywhere from $45 to $100 for a single performance. A lot (NOT ALL) of those are allowed to be changed, edited, and modified at the discression of the producer. One of these, while not useable in content, may be what you need to create the structure of your own, original show. It wouldn't necessarily even have to be a murder, involving kids it could just be a crime. The Encylopedia Brown series of childrens books is all about an adolescent who solves neighborhood crimes - these might be great plot inspiration. If you are looking to do a non-interactive show, basically a mystery presented as a play while dinner is served...I got nothin', unless you write your own. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/17/07 at 6:23pm
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As drose suggest is there any M'nM that is historical to your local area. As it is dinner show have take place during dinner being serve, i'm sure there would be a genre available in literature! Writing your own, even getting the kids involved, as a workshop. White board the basic chioce of story line & get them to add thier ideas & how it would unfold. You can get a heap CD & DVD M'nM games these days to help with the basic genre set up. However it may an idea to put on the marque a play under some some generic title, as aomething like "Revenge of Ma smiths cream pie" a murder mystery in two acts. If you ddin't want to give the game away & keep it as a true mystery for the unsuspecting punters? [Even add a bit of 'cream pie' fighting] ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 9/17/07 at 8:39pm
Thanks for the suggestions and advice. I was actually able to find one that met my criteria written by none other than A.A. Milne. It's based on his book The Red House Mystery. I've never heard of the book, but can only imagine Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore being involved somehow.  ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: Thespian_4_ever
Date Posted: 9/17/07 at 10:43pm
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I don't know of anything, but it might be cool to make a murder mystery out of a true famous murder that happend in your town, i know there are several great ones where I live. ------------- |
Posted By: Fairbanks_Drama
Date Posted: 9/18/07 at 6:22pm
| I'm not a huge fan myself, but it might be worthwhile checking out "Mysteries By Moushey" (Google it). Our local theatre does one of these every summer and they tend to go over well. I'm not sure if she has any plays for younger groups, but it never hurts to look. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/18/07 at 9:48pm
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I seem to remember in my dim past, being in an M'nM of 'Murder at the
old red barn' which was also a musical of sorts 'The old red barn'. I
thought it was about Maria Monk [possibly where the naming of the Police
Meat wagon came from "Black Maria'] When in actual fact it was Maria Marten & the incidents took place in two seperate countries. Maria Monk;-
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/mariamonk.html - http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/mariamonk.html Maria Marten & murder at the old
barn;-
http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/visit/redbarn-intro.cfm - http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/sebc/visit/redbarn-intro.cfm Gawd I'm getting past IT! ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Laff
Date Posted: 9/23/07 at 6:43pm
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Design for Murder ------------- break a leg! |