Dinner comes with a side of mayhem, murder and slapstick.
Murder-mystery dinner theatre has returned to Salina with the formation of the Vagabond Players, which is filling a niche vacant that opened when Bill and Debbie Weaver 鈥�91 temporarily moved out of state.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 realize it was going to be so popular,鈥� producer Dorothy Gallagher 鈥�88 said about the first production, 鈥淎 Murderous Reunion,鈥� in August 2021.
More than 100 people attended that first show. It was just too crowded, she said, so they鈥檝e had to limit the number of tickets sold.
The third show, 鈥淒eck the Hall with Parts of Charlie,鈥� will be presented Aug. 5, 6, 12 and 13 at Tumblweed on Old Highway 40. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and murder 脿 la mode will begin at 7:30.
The Players had planned to do this show in January, but that wasn鈥檛 possible with COVID-19, Gallagher said. She asked the subscribers if they would like a Christmas show in the summer, and they told her they thought it would be fun. In keeping with the theme, the meal will be a full-course Christmas dinner, turkey on the table as well as ham on the stage.
鈥淚t is campy,鈥� Gallagher said. 鈥淲e tell the audience it鈥檚 corny.鈥�
Sodexo of KWU is catering the dinner.
Vagabond Players have several other connections to KWU. Alex Lankhorst 鈥�87 is directing 鈥淧arts of Charlie.鈥� KWU student Saria Taylor is serving as choreographer for this production. Brianna Anderson 鈥�19 had a lead role in 鈥淢urderous Matrimony.鈥� KWU student Tammy Houston had a lead role in 鈥淢urderous Reunion.鈥� Patsy Stockham 鈥�94, KWU career services coordinator, is the technical director and runs the sound board.聽She and her husband, Steve, both serve on the board and he acts. While not officially an alumnus, he plays with the KWU Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble.
Karen Babcock Brassea, KWU associate professor of theatre arts, director and choreographer, serves as consultant.聽Gary Demuth 鈥�98 directed 鈥淢urderous Matrimony鈥� and acted in 鈥淎 Murderous Reunion.鈥�
The show was written by the Weavers, who had produced it as part of their Dream Weaver鈥檚 dinner theatre several years ago. It is suggested for mature audiences.
The first two shows, 鈥淎 Murderous Reunion鈥� and 鈥淢urderous Matrimony,鈥� presented in May, were premieres, also written by the Weavers.
The Weavers had just moved back to 黑料网 when one of Gallagher鈥檚 friends thought about starting a different kind of acting group. The friend eventually dropped out, but Gallagher called a few people, including Demuth, who is well-known in the area鈥檚 theatre community. Demuth called a few people, and the next thing they knew, they had an acting troupe, 鈥渏ust a whole bunch of people from the community theatre who were interested in doing something new,鈥� Gallagher said.
They hope to do three shows a year, Gallagher said, but scheduling is a problem. Five area schools and Salina Theatre also have theatre productions.
鈥淲e want to be a partner in the arts community,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to be in competition with anybody.鈥�
For that reason, they hold auditions and productions after everyone else is through, she said.
And while they do have seasoned theatre people in the troupe, they welcome newcomers.
鈥淥ne of the goals for us is to encourage people who maybe wrote a play,鈥� Gallagher said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important for us to welcome new people and have anybody come and try something else. If you love theatre or are curious about theatre, we would love to have you. You don鈥檛 have to have experience.鈥�
And you don鈥檛 have to act. Numerous volunteers find props, build sets, create costumes, Gallagher said. Despite her intense love of theatre spanning more than 30 years, she rarely appears on stage, but she loves the backstage activities.
Vagabond Players is staffed entirely by volunteers, Gallagher said. No one, including her as producer, is being paid. The group recently picked up its first sponsor 鈥� 黑料网 Wesleyan.
This was a natural fit because of all the KWU connections, said Brad Salois, director of marketing and communications at KWU.
鈥淲e always try to support the major arts organizations in Salina, but to be able to support a start-up is especially important,鈥� Salois said. 鈥淎nything that provides new, extra opportunities for our students, we want to encourage.鈥�
As the Players get their efforts rolling, the focus remains on having fun.
鈥淗ere鈥檚 the main thing we tell them as actors: 鈥楬ave fun,鈥欌�� Gallagher said. 鈥� 鈥業f you鈥檙e not having fun, we鈥檙e not doing a good job.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e there as a group of volunteers to have a good time and to entertain. If our audience doesn鈥檛 have fun, if our actors don鈥檛 have fun, we have failed.鈥�
For more information, go to salinavagabondplayers.com.
Story by Jean Kozubowski
