Choosing the Right Murder Mystery Troupe for your Party
Sep 30th, 2008 by Eric Sharp
Murder Mystery Theater, the kind that you can hire to come to your company party or large event, is growing in popularity every day. It seems that new troupes are popping up every day in cities across America. There are several to choose from now. Why this explosion in popularity?
Because a good murder mystery is thrilling. A truly good mystery is challenging to participants. When a troupe knows what they are doing, the party-goers can escape their daily lives and be transported to a different time and place - a world full of mystery and suspense.
When you are talking with a potential murder mystery company, there are questions they should be asking to help you decide on the best set-up for your party. Would you like contemporary settings, or should we theme the party in another era like Victorian England or the Roaring Twenties? Would you like over the top actors, putting on a show, or actors that blend in with your guests and keep them guessing? Do you want a plot that is light and silly, or more serious sleuthing? Should we do a dark black comedy, or a modern Sopranos style parody?
I joined the mystery performance world when I was 23, back in 1989. The concept was still new, they called it Audience Participation Theater. I joined a group in NJ and the style was all camp: madcap hijinx, outlandish costumes and characters, hokey but fun. Working the tables, making people laugh, I had a blast. I even wrote my own silly script that company is still using today.
When I moved to California a few years later, the genre was now called Interactive Theater, and the style was changing. The trend was now to have the actors blend in to the party, you would think they were just another guest. Figuring out who was an actor and who was a guest was challenging and stimulating to the audience. And the plots were more serious, less predictable. It bothered me though that there was so much down time for the audience with this style, and great actors were being under utilized.
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.
I took this character Detective Sharpo, and started my own Sharpo Mysteries. Nora and I now write compelling plots with diabolic motives, and I am a member of Mystery Writers of America. We like a mix of some characters that blend in, and some over the top entertaining characters that keep the night moving and the guests laughing. The event comes of real and silly at the same time, intriguing yet entertaining. Even during the cocktail hour before the mystery begins, we set the tone of the night with strolling performers mingling with the guests, doing improv and magic.
By asking the right questions, you can find a murder mystery company in your city that truly provides a one of a kind experience. This perfect mix of mystery and comedy will leave your guests talking about this event for years!
