All of our productions are privately sponsored, meaning that a client (corporation, country club, winery, association, restaurant or other group) hires us to come to a location of their choice and provide entertainment for their employees/members/guests. Many of our shows are open only to the client’s guests, but we also perform at events that are open to the public.
You’ll need to contact the host venue directly to purchase tickets. We list the dates and locations of our public performances on our website. If any of the dates/locations listed are of interest to you, you can click the provided link and you'll be redirected to the host's website.
Our pricing is dependent on factors such as how many guests will be attending and whether or not travel is required. Please call to inquire about our fees.
Different mystery troupes may charge a range of fees, but they are not all alike. Each It's A Mystery production features 7 actors with extensive professional acting experience. All of our shows have been written by a professional writer and are used only by us. We are told time and time again that our quality surpasses any previously experienced mystery performance. We have several high profile clients across the state who hire us repeatedly.
Because we stay busy utilizing the many productions that we currently offer, we are typically unable to write shows for individual clients without charging significant additional fees. Our shows are largely scripted, and therefore very labor intensive to develop. A mystery designed for a single client would more than likely not be suitable for additional clients. Even clients who initially ask for a custom script can almost always be accommodated with one of the themes we currently offer. We are able to personalize our existing productions to a certain degree.
The show is performed theater-in-the-round style, so we ask that you arrange the tables around a central performance area of about 12 feet in diameter. Tables should be placed as close together as comfortably possible in order to create an intimate setting. We will also need five extra chairs tucked around the room.
We will need you to provide two wireless microphones (at least one of which should be handheld) for groups of between 60 and 130. For audiences of 131 or more, we would need to discuss the possibility of you and/or the venue providing a complete sound system including wireless lavalier microphones for all seven cast members, one additional handheld mic, and a technician to control the board. This ensures that everyone in the room can hear the show.
We ask our clients to provide a program for their guests. This program is handed out to the guests as they enter the reception and serves many purposes. The mingling is much more successful if the guests know who the characters are as we interact with them. The program also serves as a reference during the performance as well as a place to jot down notes and clues. We suggest that the client provide writing instruments at each place setting for the purpose of note-taking.
We need a separate room available to the actors before and during the show, preferably close to the room where the event is being held. After all, we need a place to stash the “dead bodies!”
We ask that a warm meal be provided for the 7 actors after the performance (or during the performance if we have traveled outside the Triangle).
We are very flexible and can adapt our formula to your specifications. Though we usually perform in conjunction with a plated meal, we can also work around buffets or no food service at all.
We start the performance after the guests have gone through the buffet line, and there are several breaks during the production allowing the guests to return to the buffet.
Clients are responsible for designing and printing the programs for their event because this allows them to use their logo and any other information of their choosing, and have control over the degree of sophistication and budget. Variables affecting cost include type of paper and amount of color. I provide each client with hard copies of other clients’ programs, as well as a suggested guideline and digital copies of the information that goes inside (it's the same intro and character list found on our website). We have seen everything from black and white programs on lightweight copy paper, to rolled up parchment scrolls tied with ribbon!
We have performed for groups ranging in size from 8 to over 300. The type of interactive experience that It's A Mystery offers is really much better suited to groups under 200. Large groups (over 150) can present sight and sound issues for the guests, which need to be addressed by the client and/or venue.
It is up to each client to determine if they wish to provide a small prize to each member of the winning table. We suggest that the prizes be a small token, as the event isn't so much about who wins, but rather about the process/experience.
We tell the guests that the table with the earliest most complete answer wins. We use our judgment to determine the winner when answers are very close.
Some ideas for prizes are "mystery" related items such as magnifying glasses, DVD’s of a mystery movie, or mystery books. Other popular prizes are bottles of wine, or gift cards to businesses and eating establishments.
Our shows are rated PG, but the adult oriented subject matter is best suited for adults. After all, murderers and their motives can be pretty ugly! We have no problem with you bringing your kids over 10, as long as you don’t…
Allow approximately two hours (apart from the reception) for a production. The length varies somewhat based on the size of the crowd.