RUMFORD — Following the success of its first murder mystery dinner theater last year, the Rumford Association for the Advancement of the Performing Arts is planning another exciting murder mystery dinner this spring with the hilarious, yet mysterious, “Eat, Drink and be Murdered!” directed once again by RAAPA veteran Connie Venskus, from Rumford. The play will be presented Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, at Eagles Hall, 13 Oxford Ave., Rumford.
Similar to last year’s dinner theater, the RAPPA chorus will play an integral part in the production, performing a series of great musical numbers. Shirli Allen of Norway returns as musical director for the show.
Auditions for the play will be held from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Rumford Public Library. All enthusiastic actors in the area are encouraged to try-out for one of eight roles. Scripts will be available for perusal at the Rumford Public Library through Feb. 8.
“Eat, Drink and be Murdered” takes place in a banquet room where the descendants of the McFadden and O’Riley families have gathered to celebrate the 80th birthday of matron, Rose O’Riley McFadden. Grandma Rose and her late husband, Finian McFadden, built a distillery that produces Wild Irish Whiskey, one of the top-selling brands in the world. Grandma Rose is the only one who knows the “secret ingredient” to the whiskey’s recipe. For years, she’s gone in and added the ingredient to each and every batch. But Rose’s health and mind appear to be failing. If she dies before revealing the secret ingredient, it’s curtains for the Wild Irish Rose Whiskey empire. All present are convinced their only chance to control the future of the company is to persuade Grandma Rose to share the secret ingredient with them exclusively.
Roles available include: Grandma Rose O’Riley McFadden, matriarch of filthy rich McFadden family; Connor McFadden, Rose’s son, manager of family business; Kathleen McFadden, Connor’s wife; Father Mike O’Riley, local parish priest and Rose’s nephew; Seamus O’Riley, foreman at the distillery; Hannah O’Riley, Rose’s old-maid sister; nurse Kelly, Rose’s private nurse; and Janet from another Planet, a wacky DJ.
Those interested in joining the chorus should contact Shirli Allen at 207-743-7047. Rehearsals for both the chorus and actors begin on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at the Mexico Congregational Church (the “green” church) at 6 p.m. for actors and 7 p.m. for chorus members.
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