1940s murder mystery theme for dinner theater
The story behind the murder mystery is set in 1947 at a radio station and its weekly performance of Broadcast Radio Revue. While everything goes smoothly on air, behind the scenes is a different story. The cast is pictured here.
A 1940s murder mystery will be the theme for a dinner theater hosted by the Friends of the Dover Public Library on Feb. 8.
Tickets are $50 with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starting at 7 p.m. at the Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St., Dover.
The dinner will feature artisan pizza by Bahler Street Pizza with craft beer provided by Hoodletown Brewing Co. There also will be a cash bar.
“The mystery-dinner events are good fundraisers. They bring the community together in a fun and fresh way, and they are always memorable,” said Jim Gill, the director of the Dover Public Library.
The story behind the murder mystery is set in 1947 at a radio station and its weekly performance of Broadcast Radio Revue. While everything goes smoothly on air, behind the scenes is a different story.
Television is threatening radio’s future, the program sponsor is possibly looking to jump ship, and in order to bump ratings, a special broadcast will be held in front of a live studio audience.
The theater events will include segments of the radio show with audience participation, an appearance of an unexpected guest and character murders.
Characters include station manager Lou Potter; radio show singer Melody Raines; Chester Drawers, the man of a million voices; leading man Graham Crocker and his wife, Betty; and the CEO of the sponsor company, Wally Wallingford.
In addition to the show and dinner, there will be a 50/50 drawing and a costume contest. Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed 1940s costume and to whomever solves the murder mystery.
This event is sponsored by the Law Office of Dennis Traver with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organization, Friends of the Dover Public Library. The mystery dinner will be performed by Mr. E. Murder Productions.
“The mystery dinners are a fun way to meet new people, raise money for a great cause and the perfect thing to do on a February Saturday evening,” Gill said.
“All proceeds from the murder mystery will be used to support the library,” said Miles Riley, Friends of the Dover Public Library president. “While there is no specific project in the pipeline at this moment, we do have some significant purchases for the library that we hope to make in the near future.”
Riley said these include an upgraded sound system for the community room for the monthly speakers and author presentations. “We are working with Jim Gill, the director of the Dover Public Library, to cover the installation and the purchase of a sound system for that room,” he said.
Riley said the librarians and staff also need help to fund children’s programs and buy copies of popular books. “We do our best to make sure the staff have what they need to make the library even more amazing than it already is,” he said.
“The Friends of the Library are a wonderful, dynamic, hardworking group of people who care about their public library and want to help to make a bigger impact in the community,” Gill said. “The Friends always step up to the plate to help the Dover Public Library be the best that it can be.”
Riley said the Friends of the Library generate funds through events, membership fees, donations and donations through the Book Cellar Bookshop in the basement of the Dover Public Library. “Those funds are used exclusively to support the library,” he said.
The Friends have contributed to the library’s capital campaigns and children’s programs, as well as sponsored events and purchased audio/visual equipment and furniture and shelving. “We exist to help the library in any way that we can. Many times that means simply volunteering our time,” he said.
This isn’t the first time a murder-mystery dinner has been held at the library, as one was held during the library’s capital campaign a few years ago.
“We wanted to host an event that used the library in a way people don’t normally think a library can be used and obviously generate some funding for the capital campaign at the same time,” Riley said. “As we reflected on the event, I think many people involved with the library started to understand that the library is much more than stacks of books. There’s art, music, film, performance art, food, history, trivia nights, speakers, authors, video games, online resources — the list goes on. While I don’t think the murder-mystery dinner opened our eyes to this reality, it certainly solidified our understanding that we can be as creative as we want with our events without ever straying from what a library is and can be.”
Donations made through the Book Cellar Bookshop have made their mark in the past year. “In 2019 we generated over $10,000,” Riley said. “By far that’s the most the bookshop has ever generated. Every single penny will be used to support the Dover Public Library.”
The Book Cellar Bookshop is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 3-6 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
For questions about the mystery dinner, call the library at 330-343-6123 or email director@doverlibrary.org. Special seating requests can be made there as well.
Tickets are nonrefundable but may be transferred as long as the library is notified who is taking over the ticket, as ticket holders will be verified at the door.