Choosing the Right Murder Mystery Troupe for your Party

These days there are more and more event hosting companies venturing into the murder mystery genre for parties. Your options are growing, with most cities in America now having several to choose from. Why the growth in popularity?

One reason is that the quality of some murder mystery troupes is getting so much better. A good mystery is intriguing and challenging. Believable actors can transport your guests to another time and place, leaving their worlds behind. A night of suspense and thrills is so different from the mundane company event or holiday party.

So how do you choose the right murder mystery party for your guests? It depends on your tastes; there are many styles to choose from and many questions to ask. Do you want a real mystery that is a challenge to solve and keeps them guessing? or do you want a campy comedy show that is light and silly? Or a little of both? Would you like the setting to be contemporary, or shall we transport your guests back to the Forties or Victorian England? Do you want actors that blend in with you guests, or center stage campy actors? Would you enjoy a Sopranos parody, or a classic gumshoe detective story?

I performed with my first mystery troupe back in 1989, when I was 23. The murder mystery party concept was still new at that time, they called it Audience Participation Theater. I performed with a campy NJ company, with ridiculous mysteries, outlandish cliche characters in feather boas. It was pure fun, and I was at home in my comedy shtick. I fell in love with the work, making people laugh, I even wrote a campy script myself. That NJ company is still using my script to this day!

A few years later, I relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Out west, the murder mysteries we performed were contrasting: the goal was to have your actors blend right in with the guests, you did not know who was who. The mysteries they solved were actually challenging and intriguing, the writing was superb, the plots filled with twists. When someone would discover something, the guests were truly amazed and excited and captivated. But still I would see too much down time in between these moments, a little slower moving night, and I wanted to see actors talents utilized more.

One character in this style did not blend in, the lead detective was outed of course from the start, and drove the night. A fun and important role, I auditioned for the role, telling the producer that I would be a cross between Columbo and Jay Leno. I developed performed that character in mystery dinners across the country with this company, who called themselves the Rolls Royce of Mystery Companies.

Now I am Detective Sharpo for my own murdery mystery theater troupe, Sharpo Mysteries. I believe in a blend of challenging detective work mixed in with some silliness. We want guests to be intrigued and entertained at the same time. This perfect mix keeps the night moving and leaves everyone happy. Nora and I write the scripts ourselves, I am now a member of the Mystery Writers of America, and they employ quality compelling plots, not cheesy surface predictable fluff. But we never forget we are here to have fun. We even start the night early during the cocktail hour with intermingling performers doing magic and comedy in a lowkey fashion, it sets the tone for a night of fun.

The mix of fun and intrigue is not offered by just any troupe, so be sure to ask about the plots and the attitude of the event when shopping for a murdery mystery company for your next event.