Krystal Claus (aka Alisha McDarris) during Mayhem & Mystery's production of "I'll Be Home Shopping for Christmas" at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dayton, Monday, November 9, 2009.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
Dayton OH – November 10, 2009
“Have you ever noticed it’s hard not to smile when Santa Claus is in the room?” says a little voice.
Looking around, you realize the voice was your inner child, and you are indeed smiling. And Santa has just pulled back the curtain and stepped onto the ‘stage.’
In this case, the stage is not in front of the audience, but the stage is the audience. Or perhaps the audience is on the stage.
It sounds like something out of a Hollywood script. A small group of dedicated theatre people gets together and provides entertainment for people while they enjoy a nice “Christmas Italian dinner,” as Mrs. Claus puts it.
But what happens when the economy slows down? Will people still come? Will people still be able to laugh during hard times? Will people still care what happens to Krystal? Or Penelope? And will Santa and Mrs. Claus be able to find success in TV?
Mrs. Claus (aka Tamra Francis of Dayton) during Mayhem & Mystery's production of "I'll Be Home Shopping for Christmas" at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dayton, Monday, November 9, 2009.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
Hey, people, this is called melodrama... an exaggerated way of speaking.
Sure people will still come. Researchers have spent countless hours on why, but when we’re a bit down, we like to be cheered up. And a night of interactive theatre is just the ticket.
Tamra Francis, the creative part of the Mayhem & Mystery crew, spoke to us between acts of their latest production, “I’ll Be Home Shopping for Christmas,” playing most Mondays through New Year’s Eve at the Spaghetti Warehouse, 36 West 5th Street in downtown Dayton.
This is the second show of their 10th anniversary season. Their 43rd original script.
That’s right, each production is new. They sometimes use characters from previous shows, but not scripts from previous shows, which puts a bit of pressure on the team of Jerry & Tamra Francis who do the script writing, as well as playing Santa and Mrs. Claus in this production.
By almost any measure, Mayhem & Mystery would have to be considered a success story. “I started doing this eleven years ago,” Tamra says, “and now, Jerry, my husband and I run the company.”
Started at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dayton in 1998, they now perform at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Columbus, the Manchester Inn in Middletown and the Old Barn Out Back in Lima as well.
When you consider the relative size of the two cities, you might be surprised by one fact Jerry offered up while talking about the New Year’s Eve show, which they perform in Dayton. “We typically get a bigger crowd here.”
In Dayton, the ‘theatre area’ is all the way in the back, just past the trolley car at the Spaghetti Warehouse. Last night’s crowd was about 28, but Tamra says they typically have around 40 people per show, and during December it can get really crowded, with 80 to 125 people competing to find out the answer to the mystery.
Upon arrival, guests are presented with a program, which is typical for the theatre, and a detective sheet, which isn’t.
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Audience reaction during Mayhem & Mystery's production of "I'll Be Home Shopping for Christmas" at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dayton, Monday, November 9, 2009.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
During the show, you’ll want to pay attention to the clues so you can have a chance to win one of three prizes. Since there are only three ‘suspects,’ anyone can guess ‘who done it.’
So your detective skills will also have to reveal how you think the crime (which happens in the second act) happened, and why.
Part of the unexpected fun comes at the end, after you find out the answers others came up with. Some make you scratch your head and ask if they were watching the same show. Others will astound you with their insight.
When their theories are read aloud, you can tell who was watching closely, and who may have seen one too many soap operas.
You’ll be forgiven for not following along too closely, as it’s difficult to take notes while you’re laughing, and sometimes that big chuckle coming from deep inside your suddenly released inner child can be louder than the revealing hint spoken by an actor.
Jerry says that they “inherited” the concept of interactive theatre at the Spaghetti Warehouse, and Tamra explains “Spaghetti Warehouse has encouraged groups to perform in their restaurants, and I worked with a group that performed here [in Dayton] and then was with a group as the person that was running that [group] was moving on to something different.”
“A group of us started our own troupe, and a lot of the other people from that group moved to California, and so we kind of inherited it.”
If you can imagine doing your Christmas shopping in July and August, then you have an idea what it’s like to be part of the creative team that keeps the mysteries coming.
Tamra said that she’s long been involved in the creative side, and after the ‘takeover’ husband Jerry “took over doing the business aspect of it.”
Jerry and Tamra performed their first script, “Every Time a Bell Rings,” in November of 2001, and have written 42 since that are part of the Mayhem & Mystery history. A complete list is available online.
As you might expect, the creative process never really stops, and Tamra says “I’m already working on planning through 2011, concepts for the scripts, and I do a lot of research. And from there we just come up with characters and creative synopsis. And then a script from that.”
Sure. Simple. Easy as throwing a 96 mph fast ball for a major league pitcher.
For Jerry and Tamra, it seems more like a lifestyle than a job. And with a passion for their work, look for many more scripts to be performed.
Remembering that this is interactive theatre, you might wonder what are the odds that you will be part of the show.
Tamra explains that “we try to involve everybody in some fashion. How many people we pull up [out of their seats and into the spotlight] varies from show to show.”
Mrs. Claus (aka Tamra Francis of Dayton) during Mayhem & Mystery's production of "I'll Be Home Shopping for Christmas" at the Spaghetti Warehouse in downtown Dayton, Monday, November 9, 2009.
Photo: MediaMoments.com/ Peter Wine
“Sometimes with the Christmas show it’s less because some nights we get very big audiences and we don’t have as much space. We try to plan something different on every single performance on how we’re involving people.”
To summarize, if you’re expecting big props, big sets and lavish costumes, go hang out at the Schuster Center. They have Wicked coming up in February (not that there are any tickets left.)
If you want an evening where you can enjoy a good meal, mingle with new friends and have a television mystery show come to life all around you, check out the Mayhem & Mystery interactive theatre in a venue near you.
If you don’t enjoy yourself, it’d be a crime.
The next performance is Monday, November 16th, with a special Friday performance on the 20th.
Seating for dinner starts at 6:45pm, the show starts around 7pm. Tickets are $23.95 per person, reservations are required, and can be made at 937-461-3913.
On the web:
Mayhem & Mystery Interactive Theatre
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