How it works

FIRST, WE NEED TO KNOW WHICH TYPE OF GROUP ARE YOU?

REGULAR GROUPS

Most groups know approximately how many people will attend. The point person for the group first selects a theme, and then we provide a character list and she casts her guests like she is casting a movie, giving the big parts to extroverts and the minor parts and bit parts to those who are not so outgoing.

SIGN UP EVENTS

We also do “sign up events.” Most of these are done in bars, restaurants, country clubs, etc.

Six to eight weeks before the event, we put a casting book out (for example, at the clubhouse) with the date of the event and a list of characters broken down into major, minor, and bit parts. Live wires typically sign up for the major parts and shy people usually take bit parts. If not enough people sign up for the event by two weeks before the selected date, it is canceled. There would be no fee for this type of cancellation.

WE TAKE CARE OF THE INTROVERTS DURING THE CASTING PROCESS

We know from experience that in every group of 35-80 people, there are going to be people who “just want to watch.”

That is not possible at our events – there is no audience. They would not have a good time anyway because it would be like going to a cocktail party with a bunch of people you have nothing in common with (because everybody else is in character.) Plus if we let them attend, they are going to want to talk about their local sports team or news or whatever – they pull other people “out of character.”

We solve this issue by giving these people bit parts. So if it is the rock and roll theme, for example, they might just play a roadie. They could be an electrician for the band, and they just arrived a few hours ago to get ready to set up the stage for tomorrow.

So they don’t know the rock star or any of the central characters – they won’t be asked a lot of questions. They can still participate just as much as other characters, walking around trying to solve the mystery. But if he or she just wants to hang out at the bar we don’t care – but we do ask that everybody stay in character

It is not unusual at our events to see somebody who everybody thought was so quiet and shy “come out of their shell.”

OK, SO PARTS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED. NOW WHAT?

We ask that you prepare an excel sheet with the name of each player, plus the character they will be playing, and their contact information. Two weeks before the party, they will receive their complete character summary which will tell them everything they need to know, including who they know, what they have done recently, and if they are the killer. We will work with the point person of the group to make sure everybody has received their character summaries well in advance of the event.

But then they have a week or so to think about how they want to play it. This is part of the fun (parents have told us their kids had a ball, giving them all kinds of great ideas on how to dress and play their characters.) It is not unusual at our events for characters to show up with professional business cards for their characters.

AT THE EVENT

All of the character summaries are written so that the characters are going to a party. If it is the rock and roll theme, it is a backstage party; if it is the Roaring 20s, it is a meeting of the crime syndicate; if it is the pirate party, they are meeting on an island to turn their gold into cash. So the last thing in each character summary says “You are now on your way to a party to celebrate — (fill in the blank).

So guests arrive in character – we immediately give them a nametag. Everybody leaves their real identities outside. There is typically about 30 minutes of typical mixing/mingling and socializing as the guests arrive just like any other social event.

Then we get everyone together as a group, and we give them a few guidelines and briefly allow guests to introduce themselves. Next, we tell them that a murder has occurred offsite and who the victim is – there is no skit. We let them know we will be giving them updates as they become available but that is all the information we have at this time. Then the party goes back to mixing/minging/socializing with everyone shocked about the turn of events of course. About every 15-20 minutes, we introduce clues that might have information about fingerprints, the murder weapon, etc.

After all the clues have been introduced, we get everyone together in a group again and ask guests to guess who did it and why. This is usually hysterical, as guests (sometimes prodded by alcohol) make wild accusations and come up with theories that are bizarre.

After everybody who wants to has made their accusation, then we solve the mystery and disclose the killer.

(NOTE: Our holiday party is not a murder mystery. We try to catch a thief who has stolen something from Santa.)

Tom Denham, Mystery Mixers, 727-430-5908 www.mysterymixers.com

Interested in a Virtual Event?

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