Murder isn’t the only thing on the menu in Agatha Crusty and the Murder Mystery Dinner, the Santa Clara Players’ latest production that opened on Friday, October 23. Crusty, a comedy by Derek Webb, saw its U.S. Premiere with the Players. Watching the action unfold, it’s easy to see why the Players were chosen for the premiere.
Crusty opens in the house of Geoffrey (Steve Corelis) and Caroline Robertson (Marian Narveson) who are having a dinner party for employees to celebrate 10-years of the successful Mighty Might Vacuum Cleaner. Instead of just having a regular dinner party, they decide to make it a murder mystery dinner. The planned surprise is the appearance of the crime novelist, Agatha Crusty (pronounced Croosty and played by Helena G. Clarkson), in town to promote her latest book. What’s not planned is a bad storm that causes the river to flood, cutting the guests off from civilization. When the lights go out in the storm, one of the guests is murdered. But everyone was in the same room- so who could possibly be the murderer? And things don’t end there, as another guest is murdered. The guests are perplexed. Fortunately for them, Crusty is on the job. Curiously, the murders seem to follow the book she is promoting. Who is the murderer – could it even be Crusty herself? Ample puns throughout the play, help to relieve the suspense – even though the audience and actors might wish some of these were murdered as well as the dinner guests.
Agatha Crusty runs October 29, 30, November 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. and on November. 1 and 8 at 2:30 p.m. For more information or reservations, call (408) 248-7993 or visit www.scplayers.org.
