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Tuesday, February 27, 2007

All College Theatre kills with "Getting Murdered in the Morning"

ACT Murder Mystery knocks 'em dead
by Lindsey Borda of The Signal

Students at the College enjoyed a night of drama, mystery and fun at All College Theatre's (ACT) fifth annual Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner, titled "I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning." The show was presented in the Cromwell Main Lounge on Friday and Saturday evening. This year's Murder Mystery Dinner was written by Lee Mueller.

The action follows the reception of newlyweds Edward Crock and Brenda Anne Marie, played by Craig Hinners, sophomore interactive multimedia major, and Ashley Kipness, senior psychology major. Their wedding reception is interrupted by the murder of an uninvited guest, and the characters and audience members must work together to uncover the identity of the murderer.

The Murder Mystery Dinner is an unusual type of drama because the characters are allowed to interact with the audience. The audience can play a role in the action by guessing the murderer's identity."It really breaks down the wall between the actors and the audience," Susan Pedersen, a sophomore English major who played the DJ, said. "Instead of pretending no one is watching us, the Murder Mystery players thrive on audience participation and feedback."Amanda Ganza, sophomore biology major and the inebriated mother of the bride, shares in Perdersen's outlook."The entire production has such a welcoming atmosphere and it makes the audience feel like they are a part of the show," Ganza said. "A lot of the students come to see their friends and try to get them to break character, and it is fun to be able to ask the actors questions and venture a guess as to who committed the murder."Another aspect to the Murder Mystery Dinner is that every character is important, from the biggest roles to a member of the ensemble. This is due to the fact that every cast member interacts with the audience and everyone in the play is a suspect in the murder investigation. "Playing my character is a lot of fun," cast member Lemor Bar-or, junior elementary education/sociology major, said. "Although it is not a principal role, it is somewhat integral to the plotline and it also gives the audience one more reason to question their response as to who is the murderer."

Friday, February 23, 2007

"Death of a Doornail" plays Cleveland, Tennessee

The Starr Mountain Civitan Club of Etowah will present the Gem Players in “Death of a Doornail,” a mystery dinner theater event on March 3 at 6 p.m. at the historic L&N Depot in Etowah.
Tickets ($20) include dinner catered by The Farmhouse and the play.
Reservations are required and tickets may be purchased by calling First Volunteer Bank at 423-263-3900 or the Gem Players office at 423-263-3270.
“Death of a Doornail” has eccentric millionaire, Albert Doornale inviting all of his close friends to his estate, including his ex-wife Abigail, his current fiancĂ© Candy Bombay. Then murder ...
The play is being sponsored by the Starr Mountain Civitan Club as a fund raising event.
The proceeds will benefit the many community service projects the club sponsors.