RUMFORD — The Rumford Association for the Advancement of the Performing Arts is bringing another of its widely popular Murder Mystery Dinner Theater events to the River Valley on Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26, at the Eagles Hall in Rumford.
This year you’ll be taken to the deep South to witness the mayhem caused by Prescott Knight, the elderly owner of the Hot Knights Pepper Sauce Company, and his greedy, conniving relatives, who are all waiting for him to die so they can inherit the company fortune. Instead, he is set on marrying a pretty young southern belle 50 years his junior. Prescott has announced plans to change his will but on the day of the announcement, ends up murdered! Everyone is a suspect.
As “Death of a Hot Sauce Salesman” unfolds, diners will meet the eccentric owner of Hot Knights Pepper Sauce Company, Prescott Knight (Wayne Landry); his very greedy family members including daughter Sue Rae DuKane (Jen Foster) and husband W.C. DuKane (Dan Rajaniemi), granddaughters Shiloh Devereaux (Erica Rickards) and Magnolia DuKane (Adrianne Graffe) and her dimwitted boyfriend, Brick Tarmac (Allan Hagen). Also among the suspects are Prescott’s faithful housekeeper, Sassy (Gail Parent), his one-eyed gardener, Juan (Dawson Walton) and his sleazy attorney, Fester N. Boyle (Steven Borstelmann). Prescott’s ex-wife, Stormie Knight (Anita Murphy) shows up unannounced and also becomes a suspect.
After the murder is discovered the local judge, Helen Wheels (Debbie Moon), is called in to solve the crime with the help of audience members who will be given a packet of evidence and clues they must decipher to help solve the mystery.
RAAPA veteran Connie Venskus of Rumford directs the production, which includes showcasing a wide variety music genres by the RAAPA Chorus — “Accentuate the Positive,” “Days of Wine & Roses,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and a tribute to Queen — including highlights from “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Gail Dorr of Mexico, chorus director will provide accompaniment.
Doors open at 5 p.m. for a one-hour social hour with cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. The dinner and show will start promptly at 6 p.m. A full sit-down dinner will be served which will include bacon-wrapped pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, corn, dinner roll, tossed salad, and a brownie sundae dessert. A vegetarian entrée is available by request.
Tickets for the evening of dining and entertainment are $30 per person, gratuity included. Reservations can be made by calling Anita Murphy at 369-0205.
The deadline for reservations is May 20.
The cast of “Death of a Hot Sauce Salesman,” standing, from left, Wayne Landry, Anita Murphy, Jen Foster, Dan Rajaniemi, Gail Parent, Allan Hagen, Debbie Moon, and Dawson Walton. Seated, same order: Adrianne Graffe, Erica Rickards, and Steve Borstelmann.
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