Hiring a Murder Mystery Theater group for your event can be a total success or an awkward flop. The right troupe can leave guests thoroughly entertained, and the wrong troupe can make the night drag on forever. The Murder Mystery events are popping up in more and more cities, with new companies offering this style of entertainment in their party offerings. Why is it so popular?
One reason is that the quality of some murder mystery troupes is getting so much better. A good mystery is intriguing and challenging. Believable actors can transport your guests to another time and place, leaving their worlds behind. A night of suspense and thrills is so different from the mundane company event or holiday party.
Choosing the right murder mystery cast for your party is crucial. The factors depend on your needs. Do you want challenging detective work for your guests, or more comedic fun? Or both? Do you like campy over the top actors or characters that blend into your party without anyone noticing. Would your guests enjoy a modern setting, or another era such as a Speakeasy in the Twenties, or Victorian England? Would you like a dark Noir feel, or a parody of the Sopranos? So many options!
When I was 23, I got my first taste of the mystery dinner theater world. In NJ, I worked with a troupe that specialized in the campy over the top mystery dinner theater. Silly scripts, comedic characters that were hokey, but it was so much fun. That was the style and what people expected. I fit in perfectly, I got to hone my spontaneous improv skills, table to table, cracking people up. I even wrote a campy script that is still being used today by that same company.
When I later moved to Los Angeles, I found the murder mystery theater to be more serious out there. Actors would be placed like regular guests, you would not know who was hired and who was a real guest. The scripts had serious plots and twists. This was more compelling for the audience, with surprises and intrigue, but I noticed a lot of down time in between the excitement.
The detective in these scenarios was the only one that was not meant to blend in, and soon I won the role of the Lead Detective. I traveled all over America with my "COLUMBO meets JAY LENO" style character. Literally hundreds of times I performed as that character with this very popular mystery company.
Now I am Detective Sharpo for my own murdery mystery theater troupe, Sharpo Mysteries. I believe in a blend of challenging detective work mixed in with some silliness. We want guests to be intrigued and entertained at the same time. This perfect mix keeps the night moving and leaves everyone happy. Nora and I write the scripts ourselves, I am now a member of the Mystery Writers of America, and they employ quality compelling plots, not cheesy surface predictable fluff. But we never forget we are here to have fun. We even start the night early during the cocktail hour with intermingling performers doing magic and comedy in a lowkey fashion, it sets the tone for a night of fun.
This balance is actually hard to come by in a mystery dinner troupe, so be sure to ask these questions when making your choice. See you at the show!
About the Author:
West coast based Sharpo Mysteries, with Eric Sharp's unique mix of intrigue and comedy, is available for private and corporate parties. Book an one of a kind murder mystery for your next big event!
