Murder mystery events are nothing new, but it`s a rare month that passes without my getting at least one phone call from someone looking to track down a mystery company ”for my father/mother/brother/friend.”
Yeah, sure.
Hey, there`s nothing to be ashamed of. Murder mysteries are fun; as I`ve mentioned once or twice in the past, I`m addicted to them.
And these are flush times for Chicago mystery buffs. There are a half-dozen area companies sponsoring murder parties on a near-continuous basis, hosting events in restaurants, hotels, boats and trains.
For the uninitiated, murder mystery parties thrust their guests-the paying customers-into a mystery scenario. Guests arrive and mingle, often over hors d`oeuvres and cocktails, and try to spot the important players. Sometimes this is easy; some mysteries identify each suspect from the outset with a name tag. Sometimes it`s hard; Murder Mystery Weekend distributes a guest list that has everybody`s name on it, suspects included.
In any case, in short order a shot rings out, a body crumples to the floor and an inspector (or detective or something) takes charge. Thereafter it`s up to the guests to interrogate the suspects (it`s pretty obvious, at this point, who they are) and interpret the clues (which are on display for everyone to see). Guests submit their solutions before the final denouement;
correct sleuths win a prize.
A simple formula, and one that mystery groups almost always follow. And mystery parties almost always take place over dinner. But the similarities end there; each group has its own way of constructing a plot, conducting the investigation and involving the guests in the action.
”At my events, someone`s dead already,” says Dawn Amundson of Amundson Enterprises. Amundson`s scenarios typically unfold at a will reading or memorial service; guests arrive already aware that someone has died under mysterious circumstances. ”This makes the party move immediately,” Amundson says. ”People aren`t standing around, waiting for someone to die.”
Amundson, who has been presenting murder mysteries for 15 years, says that audience participation is crucial. ”The biggest problem with any murder mystery is lack of participation,” she says. Accordingly, she takes close to a dozen suspect roles and assigns them, at random and in advance, to guests. This gets a lot of people involved in the action from the start, she says.
Ron Rubin of Murder Mystery Weekend likes to inject a note of realism into his mysteries by hiring a private ambulance that pulls up, lights and sirens in action, to pick up the murder victim. ”It really gets people`s attention,” he says. Rubin also likes to ”roast” some of his guests by implicating them in the murder, usually by discovering business cards or letterhead stationery in compromising places. Rubin gets the guest`s cards and stationery from friends and business associates, who are usually happy to cooperate. ”We try to have a little fun with people,” Rubin says.
Donna Kavanagh of Murder One Productions assigns a character to every guest; no one is merely himself during the mystery, a situation that Kavanagh says greatly increases audience involvement. ”We did a corporate party for about 40 lawyers on a retreat,” she says. ”In playing the mystery, they got to call each other by their character names-Kangaroo McDermott and such-and a lot of walls came down.”
Corporate events make up a large part of mystery companies` customer base, but the groups also handle private parties. If you`re thinking of putting together a mystery for yourself and a houseful of friends, most of the companies listed below will be more than happy to assist. Be aware that this would not be inexpensive-figure $500 as an absolute, no-frills minimum-but it can be arranged. ”We`re pretty flexible on price,” Donna Kavanagh says. ”We might have one murder instead of four, or four actors instead of eight, but I`ll make sure they have a good time.”
For those considering attending a mystery, here are a few observations:
– Don`t worry if you`re not a mystery buff. Though many of the mysteries are quite complicated, they all boil down to about three or four viable suspects. So you`ve got a one-in-four chance of being right even if you sleep through the first hour.
– The more role-playing, the better. I got to play a suspect at a mystery thrown by Amundson Enterprises and had a blast. It was also fun trading quips with Donna Kavanagh when we played suspects (everyone`s a suspect in Kavanagh`s scenarios) in her own Murder One mystery.
– Be aggressive. Ask the suspects pointed, even embarrassing questions. The actors love it. They`re counting on it.
– I`ve never gotten a bad meal at one of these events. The food wouldn`t impress a restaurant critic, but it`s tasty and there`s enough of it.
– The open bar available at some places is a nice but overrated touch. Once the mystery starts, you won`t want to make a bar trip when you could be quizzing a suspect instead. On the other hand, if you don`t happen to care for the mystery, you could always curl up in the corner with a bottle of bourbon. – If you want to splurge, weekend mysteries are a lot of fun. They`re pretty expensive, but they include one or two nights` stay in the hotel and all meals. A two- or three-day mystery is more absorbing-there are tons of clues, several acted-out scenarios and usually several murder victims-and there`s enough free time to use the pool or other facilities. ”When we`ve got all weekend,” says Donna Kavanagh of Murder One, ”you can really get intense. There`s more clue hunting and more character development. And the mystery can be much more complicated.”
– When playing detective, don`t spend a lot of time obsessed with those suspects who happened to have been near the victim when he/she died. In almost all cases, this is irrelevant. Do pay attention to proven alibis, however.
– Having fun is more important than identifying the guilty party. No one`s really dead, you know.
Here are the dossiers on the area`s mystery companies:
Name: Amundson Enterprises
Performing: Mystery dinners, mystery train adventures, mystery cruises.
Modus operandi: Amundson, who has been in the murder-mystery business for 15 years, assigns suspect roles to about a dozen or more guests-in advance-at each event. Though many parts are incidental to the mystery itself, many guests go all out, in terms of costuming and role playing, to make the mystery a big event-which makes it more fun for everyone. Each suspect, moreover, possesses two clues that are important to the solution. To solve the mystery, guests must talk to all the suspects (including actors, an average of 15 people), necessitating a high degree of participation.
Distinguishing characteristics: From time to time, a suspect role assigned to a guest will be that of the murderer-though the guest won`t know that at first. This makes solving the mystery harder-one can`t simply play spot-the-actor to narrow down the choices-and greatly enhances participation and role-play.
Upcoming public dates: Sunday at Wilmette Country Club; March 11 at Plentywood Farm, Bensenville; March 12 and 19, mystery train (round trip to Milwaukee); dozens of other dates.
Prices: Mystery dinners are $42.50 per person; mystery train is $80;
mystery cruises (beginning in June) cost $60.
Contact: Dawn Amundson at 561-5600.
Name: Creekwood Inn
Performing: Murder mystery weekends.
Modus operandi: A quaint property in Michigan City, Ind., Creekwood Inn accommodates only 24 people, and from time to time the entire facility becomes a mystery setting for the weekend. Guests are assigned characters, with full biographies, well in advance and are urged to arrive in character and in costume for check-in. Each character is an integral part of the mystery.
Distinguishing characteristics: Total immersion in the scenario, as the entire hotel is participating. Creekwood Inn mysteries sell out well in advance, but cancellations do occur from time to time.
Upcoming public dates: April 7-9 and May 5-7. No summertime mysteries scheduled, though private-party bookings are available.
Prices: $470 double occupancy, $320 single, including two-night stay, all meals, taxes and gratuities.
Contact: Peggie Wall or Mary Lou Linnen at 219-872-8357.
Name: Discovery Center
Performing: Mystery dinner
Modus operandi: Discovery Center hosts monthly mysteries in a private room at Ann Sather`s Restaurant, 929 W. Belmont Ave. Anywhere from 25 to 40 guests mingle with close to a dozen actors (none identified) until a murder is committed. Thereafter, guests sit down to a buffet dinner and, with ”the Inspector” acting as moderator, interrogate the suspects. No role-playing involved; customers are never serious suspects.
Distinguishing characteristics: Low-key approach suitable for first-time participants. Carefully crafted scenarios are ideal for armchair detectives;
even if you never leave your seat, you probably won`t miss a thing.
Upcoming public dates: April 7, May 19, June 23, July 28.
Prices: $34.95, plus a $6 registration fee.
Contact: The Discovery Center at 348-8120. Private parties call Ted Sarantos at 848-1100.
Name: King`s Manor
Performing: Mystery dinners
Modus operandi: Beginning this month, the medieval revue King`s Manor is performing murder mysteries on occasional Wednesdays and Sundays. ”The King Lives . . . Or Does He?” is a musical medieval murder mystery; song and dance accompanies guests` efforts to help the ”Royal Investigator” solve the crime. As you might suspect, the scenario is played for laughs.
Distinguishing characteristics: Each member of the audience is assigned a character to portray; all the suspects, and the murderer, are audience members.
Upcoming public dates: Wednesday; March 22; April 2, 12 and 23. Some dates already sold out. All performances at the King`s Manor, 2122 W. Lawrence Ave.
Cost: $27.50 per person, including dinner and unlimited beer and wine.
Contact: Dave or Maureen Gordon at 275-8400.
Name: The Learning Annex
Performing: Mystery dinners
Modus operandi: The Learning Annex mysteries are handled by Amundson Enterprises (listed above), and they pretty much mirror Amundson`s other events. Certain guests are selected in advance to play suspects, and there are more than a dozen suspects to be interviewed, so you`ve got to step lively to keep up. Action takes place during a buffet dinner; free champagne is served. Distinguishing characteristics: High level of audience participation.
Upcoming public dates: April 29 at Ditka`s City Lights, Wells and Ontario Streets.
Cost: $35, plus a $6 registration fee.
Contact: The Learning Annex at 280-7575.
Name: Murder Mystery Weekend
Performing: Mystery weekends, mystery dinners, mystery trains, mystery cruises.
Modus operandi: An offshoot of a California-based mystery company, Murder Mystery Weekend has a large supply of scripts adaptable to a variety of locations. Mystery play is straightforward; actors manage all the suspect/
victim roles. Clues are displayed on a table for inspection at any time.
Distinguishing characteristics: For realism, company hires private ambulance to cart away murder victim(s). Will use business cards or personal information (supplied by friends, spouses or associates) to implicate audience members in the mystery. The inspector will eventually weed out those false clues, to make the solution-guessing a little easier.
Upcoming public dates: Weekend mystery March 10-12 at Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, and March 18-19 at the Compri Hotel, Schaumburg. Mystery dinners Saturday and March 11, 17 and 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29; many more dates as well. Mystery train (including overnight stay) April 29 and 30. Cruise information to be announced.
Prices: Mystery dinners range from $48 to $53 per person; weekends are about $129 (one-night stay) to $170 (two-night stay) per person (double occupancy), but prices vary. Mystery train is $199 per person.
Contact: Ron Rubin or Dawn Driver at 759-2344.
Name: Murder One Productions
Performing: Mystery dinners, mystery dinner cruises, mystery weekends.
Modus operandi: Murder One director Donna Kavanagh favors very personalized mysteries, especially for private parties. Guests are assigned identities in advance and encouraged to show up to the event in costume and in character. Most comply.
Distinguishing characteristics: Though most characters are irrelevant to the actual mystery, having a role to play adds greatly to the fun and increases the level of participation.
Upcoming public dates: Murder mystery cruises on May 12 and 31, and two cruises per month through October, on the Star of Chicago. The Thank God It`s Murder cruise is a two-hour cruise that includes hors d`oeuvres; the Lobster Cruise is a three-hour cruise that includes an all-you-can-eat lobster dinner. Prices: $37.50 per person for Thank God It`s Murder cruise; $62 for Lobster Cruise.
Contact: Book cruises through Star of Chicago, 644-5248; contact Donna Kavanagh at 664-4113 or 219-872-6156.
Name: Time of Your Life
Performing: Mystery dinners, mystery parties.
Modus operandi: Time of Your Life is a custom mystery-party outfit that incorporates guests into every phase of the murder mystery. Guests play the part of victim, suspects and, of course, murderer. Actors play the
investigators and assistants.
Distinguishing characteristics: A lighthearted mystery approach, played strictly for laughs. Particularly enjoyable when played among people who know each other.
Upcoming public dates: None. Time of Your Life is strictly for private and corporate groups.
Prices: Vary widely with size of group, location, complexity of mystery, etc.
Contact: William or Barbara Rekus at 965-4455.
