(Photos by Starlene Gaddam)
Cafe Murder is a dinner-inspired murder mystery play written by Nathan Hartswick and directed by Ashlynn Hayes. It is set in the cafeteria, debuted to the public on October 24, and features thought-out and creative characters.
“I decided to audition because I’ve been doing theater here at Athens since my freshman year, and I’m very passionate about it. We did it (the buffet and desserts) because it’s a dinner theater show, meaning the audience eats and watches the show,” said Lucy Beal, senior at Athens.
Theater is one of the major classes at Athens, and it includes very passionate students ready to give their best. Beal is also part of the theater production and is enjoying how it’s all going especially the new fall play. It’s exciting for her and other students because it’s a new topic with many different things to explore.
“The play is about Rosemary and her four sisters who dine in a restaurant called ‘Cafe Murder.’ Rosemary ends up getting killed in the bathroom and the whole idea of the show is to figure out who did it, so like a murder mystery,” said Beal.
Different from their other plays done in the past, this one is going to have many different things like the setting change, the dinner idea, and audience interactions included in it that even the cast is unfamiliar with. As said above, one of the characters is Rosemary played by Beal and she is the main character of the play.
“I like the vibes of this one. This one has a new place, we have these black tablecloths and fake candles and it’s going to be very cozy. There’s also good music,” said Mabel Bertone, assistant manager of theater.
Bertone currently helps with the cast and their lines and hopes to be the next stage manager. Even though she’s not directly in the play or a part of any of the characters, she’s still a major addition to making sure everything is settled and done for every part of the play.
“This play definitely is different from anything we’ve ever done before and I’ve never been a part of a show like this, but it’s been really fun. I enjoy the audience interaction/participation aspect as well as playing a character who’s so different from myself. I think overall it’s a really funny show and has some very memorable characters,” said Beal.
In addition to different settings and play styles, there’s also the addition of allowing the audience to interact with the different characters while eating. So it makes the audience feel almost like a part of the play, they get to be involved and laugh along with the characters as the play goes on.
“It’s smaller than our usual plays, so we have stretched it out so there’s a lot more put into it, and it’s gonna be very funny, and I think the audience is gonna be a big part of it,” said Bertone.
The play is looking like an overall success. The staff and students enjoyed it and felt a part of it. They all had a fun night because it was fun and interactive.
“I really like the vibe of this one. The other ones had different vibes but this one has a new place and we have these black tablecloths and fake candles and it’s gonna be very cozy. There is also good music,” said Bertone.
