By Staff Reporter Thalia Eclarinal
Courtesy of THALIA ECLARINAL/The Shamrock
The cast of Much Ado About Murder rehearses before opening night.
Have you heard? There’s been a murder in Kennedy High’s own MP-1 – and everyone’s invited to the investigation.
For their fall play, the Blarney Stone Theater is presenting “Much Ado About Murder,” a comedic murder mystery and dinner theater experience that directly involves the audience members in trying to solve the bludgeoning of “rich but rotten” Carlton Larraby. Tickets with dinner must be bought at least one week in advance for $30 each, and tickets without dinner can be bought within one week of each show date for $15 each. The show will be performed for two weeks, from Nov. 7-9 and Nov. 14-16 in MP-1. Opening Night Gala tickets, which include a pre-show party with the cast and crew, dinner, the show, and a special souvenir champagne flute, can be purchased for $45.
“Much Ado About Murder” begins with a Halloween party held in the Larrabys’ manor, the colorful variety of characters – Carlton’s immediate family and others – all dressed as Shakespearean characters, per their host’s request. While the characters are not yet aware of Carlton Larraby’s death, the audience is able to experience past events in the story through the master of ceremonies, Mr. Hawker, guiding them with flashbacks and foreshadowing.
“I love social deduction games, so when I heard this play was not only a murder mystery but also interactive and we could solve the murder, I was really really hyped,” senior Alex Marasigan said. “I’ve never been to many of the plays before because they haven’t interested me much, but this one sounds very interesting.”
One of the most intriguing elements of this production is the audience’s involvement in the progression of the story as they get to know the characters. During the intermission between Acts One and Two, audience members will be allowed to get up and investigate the crime scene (also the set of the play) on their own in order to find more clues.
“It’s kind of mimicking a theater in the round, except it’s a rectangular room,” senior and director Isabella Moran said. “But we’re using the entire space and we’re going to have the audience members being a part of the stage and having the cast interact with them.”
This experience will be more immersive and engaging than other plays, so it is highly encouraged to attend to see how the story carries itself out, have a chance at solving Carlton’s mysterious death, and eat some delicious food at the same time.
“If you enjoy theater, this is [a show] that you won't want to miss because this takes the involvement levels to the next level,” Theater and English teacher John Hoganson said. “You will be part of the cast as you question our suspects and you will enjoy your dinner as we take you away from reality, even if just for a few minutes.”
Tickets are limited – buy them fast to avoid missing a chance to participate in the murder investigation.
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