Shadow Mountain Community Players open season

Area families in pursuit of entertainment this weekend may want to consider a night out with the Shadow Mountain Community Players.

The performing troupe is a nonprofit group of actors based in town, with a flair for comedy and audience interaction.

The assemblage opened its 2016 season last weekend with the murder mystery dinner play entitled, "A Family Reunion to Die For.

Actor Carlton McCaslin said the performance is a classic whodunit, with a twist or two.

"It takes place at a bed and breakfast in the Virgin Islands that is Western," he said. "It is a Western bed and breakfast in the Virgin Islands. The detective is played by Ken Murphy, who is basically a night security mall cop and he wants to be a detective. A murder mystery dropped at his feet, and he's going to try to solve it, but he's a knucklehead. He has to get help from outside, which are the people in the audience."

The final four performances are today, Friday, Saturday and then Feb. 19 and 20. Tickets are $18 per person, and parties of six or more are encouraged to make reservations.

Doors at the New Hope Fellowship, located at 781 West Street, open at 6 p.m. with the performance scheduled for 7 p.m.

Without preempting the performance, McCaslin said those in the audience will also play a big role in the production.

"This is a classic whodunit, however the audience gets to provide some input to it," he said. "At one point, there is a question session but the detective doesn't actually ask the audience. I don't want to give away too much of the plot. The audience reaction to this particular show is one of the best we've ever had. They love it because there's comedy, there's mystery and all sorts of things. It will be a good evening of entertainment."

McCaslin also said the dinner menu was selected to provide a real feel for the setting of the production.

"The tropical locale is why we created a special dinner menu consisting of sweet and sour tropical chicken over rice, green Asian salad, apple pie parfait, and coffee or punch. Everybody kind of likes that over the traditional dinner of spaghetti that we usually serve."

The cast, McCaslin noted, consists of roughly 13 actors, who opened the 2016 season last week.

"The first performance last weekend went very well and we were very pleased with it because normally the first Friday night is a dog," he said with a laugh. "Tickets are on sale now or you can get them at the door. It's advisable that they go ahead and reserve them and we will hold them at the door for them. Or you can pick them up at the library."

Next weekend is the final performance for the show. For additional information or advance tickets call 775 727-6145.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com