The Murder Mystery dinner, a new event from QCHS’ theater, took place this year at the American Legion in Quakertown, PA. Run by the QCHS theater program, directed and written by Tyler Kitchenman, consists of a series of actors and actresses from QCHS, ranging from grades 9-12, who worked hard to rehearse, memorize lines and blocking, and perform for an audience with which they interacted directly. The event worked hand in hand with Aaron Powell and his company, Our Family’s Agent, to bring entertainment, food, and a surprise to the audience members as actors made their way into the audience. This event was undoubtedly a huge success, seen by three sold-out nights, a benefit going to the QCHS theater department, and money given back to Our Family’s Agent and the American Legion.
The first step in the process of this event was setting up and casting. Tyler Kitchenman along with the three theater officers, Jess Mehrinho, Abby Black, and Tanner Sheridan, worked hand in hand to successfully get the ball rolling on this event. With planning for this event beginning in May of 2024, the event had been long in the making. This team worked together to plan, page through scripts, set up times for auditions and rehearsals, communicate between all parties, and organize everything. They then moved toward the audition process, where a bit of the script had been used to determine the acting ability of those interested in the event and to determine the ability to interact with members not involved in the case, along with seeing how one would serve food and act at the same time. The decision to cast was then made by the director and writer, and rehearsals were able to begin. The rehearsing process for an event like this consisted of minimal rehearsals where the actors worked out some minimal blocking and acting choices, but most of these decisions came from when the program was able to move into the space and interact with the audience.
But what does this do for Quakertown and the program? The introduction of new activities that branch off from other pre-established programs at Quakertown. This allows for people who may not be super involved in the big productions for the theater program, the play and the musical, to get involved in some other acting outlets that are smaller. This also creates publicity for Quakertown and spreads positive reviews about the event to reflect positively on Quakertown and the theater program. The reviews heard through the community about the theater program allow for greater growth of the program, which allows for more money to come into the school through increased interest and ticket sales.
