I went to a “murder mystery” gathering/party thing several years ago. It was poorly done, everyone was very uncomfortable, and I couldn’t wait for it to end. I haven’t been to another since then. Until last night, when I attended the Poison Ivy Mysteries production of Justice At The Gold Dust, written and directed by Annelise Murphy, held at Famous Dave’s BBQ in West Jordan.
Since I only had the one bad experience with this sort of thing, I had no idea what to expect. I was instantly thrilled when character names, costume pieces, and even some scripts were passed out to audience members at the door. We were then seated at larger tables along with several other couples, which I also liked. The actors were mingling and talking with audience members, and I was able to quickly read the program enough to know that I should pay some attention to what they were saying and ask some questions if I wanted to be a good sleuth later on.
Dinner was then served, classic BBQ – ribs, chicken, beans, corn, cornbread, and chocolate cake. It was good. Not great, but pretty good. Barbeque doesn’t leave a lot of leeway for clean eating or avoiding sugars, and there wasn’t a green thing in sight. I could have used a salad.
The show began soon after and was a pretty standard melodrama, colorful characters, a song here and there, a certain degree of corniness. The best parts were when the audience members stepped in with their bits of script in hand. You never knew what to expect, and the sheer goofiness of it drew everyone into the moment. Otherwise, the cast was perfectly adequate. Vocals were fine, but not great – excepting standouts Jesse Joe James (Mark Bell) and Calamity Janet (Hope Hartman – she’s got some pipes.) The songs were fine, but occasionally felt stiff. The magic of a melodrama is in the ridiculousness of it. I couldn’t decide if they really wanted it to be a melodrama, or a legitimate theatrical piece. The jokes were fine, but it seemed like cast members were unsure if they would play and didn’t want to invest too much in case they fell flat, which is the fastest way to kill a moment. You have to believe it, deliver it, trust it, and if it seems iffy, you make it bigger. It’s the silliness that makes it work. There can be no hesitation. That being said, it was opening night. Hopefully, as they come to know their characters better, without thinking about it, they will find those places where the comedy is so stupid, it’s hilarious.
I, being an actor, director, costumer, etc., tend to expect a lot from productions. It’s hard not to nit-pick or think of how I would do it differently. Plus, it is my job to be a critic. So for an unbiased point of view, I quizzed my date who just wanted to be entertained. He saw far fewer flaws than I did. He found it amusing, thought the acting was well done, enjoyed and embraced the corniness, and was completely interested in exploring the clues, interviewing the characters, and discovering who the murderer was. Simply put, it was fun. He danced on stage, bantered with the actors, and declared it a success.
Justice At The Gold Dust, and probably any of Poison Ivy Mysteries productions, would make for a charming date, unique birthday party, and excellent entertainment for a family reunion or company party.
Justice At The Gold Dust plays all summer long. Go to www.poisonivymysteries.com for more information, or find them on Facebook.
