How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party
Interactive dinner theatre comedy with multiple endings and suspicious characters galore!
📅 Auditions:
Tuesday July 29th & Wednesday July 30th | 6:45–8:45 PM
📍 Prescott Community Center, 145 Main St, Groton, MA
Ages 16+ | No experience needed | Open call
Come audition for a fast-paced, funny, and fully interactive murder mystery set as a “how-to” seminar for hosting murder mystery parties. Cold reads, improv games, and character work await! No prep necessary (unless you want to).
Rehearsals: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:45–8:45 PM starting August 5
Performances: October 24 & 25
🌈 LGBTQ+ inclusive | Community theater (volunteer)
Questions? Email theater@riseartscollab.org
Directed by Samantha Tremblay | Assistant Director: Maegan Carter
Technical Director: Barry Dunn | Produced by Mandie Roman
CAST OF CHARACTERS
All cast members are invited to mingle in character with guests before the show begins. Light improvisation and playful audience interaction are encouraged but never required. Rehearsals will support anyone new to improv—we want everyone to feel confident and have fun.
(In Order of Appearance)
THE HOST (Miss Penelope or Herbert / Chrysler-Michelin)
Lead Role – The self-important heir(ess) turned evening guide. Bored, elegant, and perpetually out of sync with their guests. Appears throughout the show and anchors the narrative with flair and sarcasm. Interacts directly with the audience throughout the show. Requires confidence, timing, and a playful spirit. Guided improvisation encouraged during performance.
THE HOUSEKEEPER (Miss Gwyneth)
Supporting Role – No-nonsense and always in control. She runs the household with sharp efficiency and is the secret backbone of the operation. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable.
THE MAID (Miss Sherry)
Featured Role – Energetic and slightly frazzled, Sherry is the assistant to Miss Gwyneth. Involved in multiple scenes with lively exchanges and key comic moments. Involves occasional ad-libbed responses to audience prompts. Enthusiasm and adaptability more important than improv training.
THE PIANIST (Harmony Kline or Stan Zapelli)
Atmospheric/Nontraditional Role – Though few lines, Pianist sets the tone with music and presence. Ideal for a performer with musical skills and expressive physicality, but not required. A mostly silent observer with many moments of clever timing. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable.
THE GOSSIP (Gabby Reynolds)
Lead Role – Knows everything about everyone. Witty, sharp-tongued, and always in the middle of the action. Great comic timing and energy required. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable.
THE CELEBRITY (Charlotte Beauregard)
Featured Role – A slightly faded starlet who still carries herself like she’s in the spotlight. Charming, vain, and occasionally clueless. Strong stage presence needed. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable.
THE LAWYER (James Wilhelm, Esq.)
Supporting Role – Calm, intelligent, and well-connected. Has a secret or two, but always presents as the voice of reason—until he’s not. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable.
THE FREE SPIRIT (Venus Starship)
Featured Role – Earthy, mystical, and socially conscious to a fault. Adds a spacey and quirky, philosophical lens to the chaos. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable; especially if she’s pedaling her spacey strange ideologies.
THE GROUNDSKEEPER (Hannibal Lattice)
Supporting Role – Gruff, mysterious, and possibly hiding something behind all that dirt and landscaping equipment. Delivers dry humor and tension.May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable. A silent glare or mysterious muttering could go far during mingling.
THE DOCTOR (Dr. Jennifer or Jackson Nightingale)
Supporting Role – Professional and collected, though often the first to lose patience. Occasionally serves as the show’s straight person amidst the madness. Able to mix with the crowd in character if comfortable, especially as “the only sane one.”
THE LADYKILLER (Hugh Glover) Age 18+
Featured Role – Suave and smug, with a wink for everyone in the room. Thinks he’s God’s gift to the manor. Flirts, fumbles, and flatters. Big energy, playful flirtation, and lots of fun possibilities with pre-show guest banter, encouraged but not required.
THE WRITER (Gregory or Serena Hemingway)
Featured Role – Brooding and melodramatic, full of self-pity and poetic flair. Offers emotional depth and artistic eccentricity. May engage with guests during pre-show dinner if comfortable; could be brooding in a corner or rambling to guests.
THE LOST TRAVELER (Mark DeMarco)
Supporting Role – The relatable outsider stuck in the storm. Unsuspecting, awkward, and unintentionally in the middle of everything. Pre-show interaction optional, especially if played for comic confusion.
THE INSPECTOR (Charles or Harriet Enigma)
Lead Role – Commanding, clever, and dryly funny. Arrives late but takes control of the mystery. Must balance authority with comedic timing. Engages heavily with the audience during the investigation. Improv skills (or strong instincts for timing and banter) are a major asset. Must be comfortable taking the lead during interactive moments.