The Honors College promises theater, mystery and food Friday, as it conducts its annual mystery dinner party.
Typically, during mystery dinners, actors sit and eat with guests while dropping strategic hints, leading to the identity of the killer. By the end, the guests take stabs at who they think the killer is. Honors students produce the mystery dinner to attract prospective students and to entertain anyone who wishes to come.
Andrew Kinnaman, senior computer science major from Abilene, wrote this year’s mystery dinner script. Completing the script took him about seven months. He said he enjoyed writing the mystery dinner play.
“I started right after the last murder mystery,” Kinnaman said. “I just kind of made fun of all the detective shows that I watch.”
The mystery is intended to be a humorous time for guests. Kinnaman said some of his comedic inspirations come from CSI: Miami. He likes the character Lt. Horatio Caine, a forensic analyst played by David Caruso.
“Horatio’s one-liners are one of the ongoing gags in the script,” Kinnaman said.
Practices began in early January. The mystery includes five scenes with a cast of eight characters. Kinnaman put himself in the murder mystery casting himself as Mark Malone, the lead detective.
Amber Deschamps, senior biology major from Liberty Hill will play the part of Alice Byrd, the victim’s haughty best friend of 20 years who Deschamps describes as a grammar enthusiast. She said she wanted to be a theater major when coming to ACU, but decided to study biology.
However, she still enjoys acting. In last year’s mystery, she played the part of the detective.
“The play is hilarious,” Deschamps said. “The way the script is written is great and is full of great characters.”
The murder mystery take place Friday, at the Williams Performing Arts Center. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and the event ends at 8 p.m. Prices are $7 for a single ticket or $10 for a pair. The dinner will include chicken Parmesan and a vegetarian option will also be provided. Anyone is welcome to attend – even non-ACU students.
Participants can buy tickets at a booth in the Campus Center after Chapel, or at the Honors College office on the first floor of Zellner Hall.
