For Halloween our Life Enrichment Director here at the continuum care campus staged a Murder at Heathcliff Manor mystery dinner party. Was it ever fun both before and during the event. Twenty of us had acting parts and we got our characters’ names and bios two weeks beforehand so we could pull our costumes together. Over that time we were all brainstorming where we could get various parts of our costumes. A tennis skirt was loaned to the ‘tennis pro’, a long back skirt was loaned to the ‘housekeeper’ of the manor, tattoo sleeves were borrowed from a grandson for the ‘cook.’ Even a Catholic priest loaned a collar to the guy playing a Victor. And our LE Director did such a good job matching up the personalities with the parts she assigned. A woman who was an Air Force nurse played Dr. Fumbles; a woman who likes to be the center of attention around here played a Constable and part time stripper; a retired lawyer played a “protector of the common people in the House of Lords.” I was professor Peacock “a renowned member of English Department at the the university” and she was also a wanna be published author of science fiction tomes. (Note none of the actually retired professors living here played the game, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gotten the part.) There was also a maid, chauffeur, a classical violinist, retired Army general, gardener, psychic, photographer, personal assistant, games keeper, stable boy and the widow of the murder victim.
Part of my costume suggestions included carrying a stack of books and I just happened to have a copy of a book named, How to write Believable Science Fiction. I also carried my favorite book about punctuation Eats, Shoots and Leaves and several other how-to-write books. My character was also supposed to be looking into the other characters so I also carried an Encyclopedia of Human Behavior and Mental Health. A tweed jacket was suggested and I had one but not an argyle sweater vest for underneath so I added a Black Watchman plaid scarf instead and a pair of peacock earrings. I found a beaded eyeglass lanyard on Amazon and had my character loss her glasses a couple of times that were parked on top of ‘her’ head with the bead flapping alongside my face. I had also practiced my introduction speech enough times that I knew it by heart. There’s a case where it helps to be computer literate. Most people didn’t see their speeches until the night of the party but I found mine online at the game makers’ site beforehand.
There are several companies who make these murder mystery party games and the company where ours came from---The Murder Mystery Party Company---have about twenty games. Most of them are for smaller groups of people. I’ve been told they are very popular among the late teens and early twenties crowds. And I can see why. You can even find costume kits online for some of the characters and well as music playlists. If I was younger I’d throw a mystery party in a heart beat.
We, of course, had to pay for a plated dinner (what’s what they call their fanciest meals around here). We had our choice of three entrees and I was only one of two of us who picked the short ribs. Most of the others got sea bass and a few got the chicken. When my dinner came the rib bone was 14 inches long, which was two inches longer than the plate was wide. We all got a kick out of that ‘dinosaur bone’ and everyone in management had to come over to see it. For $25 we got a drink from the bar, soup, salad, the entree with potatoes and vegetables and a desert boxed up to take home. People who wanted to watch the game being played (but not have a part in it) paid the same $25 for the meal. But it was well worth it. The food was great---all their plated dinners always are---and they should be for that kind of money. Most dinners here are $12 to $15 and we order off a menu. They do buffets when they want to let their staff off early like on the nights before holidays. Their plated dinners are for special events and are pre-ordered when you sign up.
The next day after the party at the lunch table we were still laughing and talking about the highlights of the murder mystery. It was a long night too. First we gathered for pictures but by the time we went into the dining room we were all in character. While we ate, the LE Director took a microphone round for us to introduce ourselves (in character). Then she read three rounds of questions, taking the microphone around each time for our individual replies which were clues to solve the mystery of who among was the killer. (At that point in the game the only person who knew who the murderer was was the actually murderer. And that was determined by who drew a slip of paper out of a hat with an ‘X’ on it.) In the pamphlets we got our characters had two ways we could answer each round of questions, depending on if we got the ‘x’ or not. Those answers increasingly made all of the characters look like they had good reasons to kill the Lord of the Manor. We laughed to the point of tears as the night progressed, especially at the al libs people made. Our Life Enrichment Director the next day was on cloud nine and said she's going to make this an annual Halloween event.
Until Next Wednesday. ©
*I’m writing this on October 31st and outside my window the grass, bushes and trees are covered in snow.
