Murder on the Docks

Saturday night the gang dusted off their machine guns and zoot suits to perform Gangsters on the Gangplank, a Prohibition-era show that takes place on a boat. This was a private party for a nice Pensacola couple, The Simpsons (no, not Homer and Marge), who won this performance in an auction for the Pensacola Little Theater (yes, Act4 does support other theater groups in the area!).

Our hosts were very generous, all the guests dressed appropriately, and lots of hooch was consumed, contributing to the overall good vibe.

We didn't actually perform on a boat, but the view of the docks behind the Simpsons' home was breathtaking. There was also some kind of wedding party going on at a place on the other side of the water, and when my character Smokey Provolone came back in at one point, I had to make reference to that futuristic "gangsta rap" song we could hear on the Simpsons' back porch. (It was "Regulate" by Warren G and Nate Dogg.)

Thanks again to everyone that came to the party, the catering team, and our own terrific cast - Joe Chase, Kay Yarbrough, Mary Ann Troiano, Jim Downum and David Smith. We love doing private shows in people's houses, boats and whatnot. If you'd like to host your own Act4Murder party, check out our website.

- Chris

Another Great New Act4 Venue in Destin, Florida

Thursday night, we had the pleasure of performing our first Act4Murder show at La Paz restaurant in Destin. Chatham Morgan and his staff were spot on, everything ran smoothly and on schedule, and the audience enjoyed our Fab '50s show Bebopped at the Sock Hop.

The cast--Missy Rogers, Mary Ann Troiano, Ken Olson, Heidi Best-Swift, Karen Monroe and myself--was amazing as always. I especially enjoy the new "twist" I added to my character, the washed up jazzbo DJ Barry Contrary--all the music is on good ol' vinyl. The food was great, too, and we can't wait to go back there.

Thanks again, everyone. Best Throwback Thursday ever!

Our New Performance Location in Destin Is to DIE For!

Last night, Act4Murder had its first-ever performance at The Dinner Table (or The Breakfast Table, as it's known weekday mornings and early afternoons) in Destin. Usually when we go into a new location, there are some expected bugs, foul-ups and general confusion. But this place? None, whatsoever! My only gripe is that we didn't start performing here sooner.

The show we did, A Vacation to Die For, was well-received by an audience of locals (including one nice couple that literally lived right across the street) and visitors. The audience participation was at an all-time high, and our fake musical duo, the Wonky-Wunkus Mariachi Mystique, actually had six bucks in the tip jar at the end of the show. (We gave it to Kay Yarbrough, who lives in Pensacola, for gas money.)

We've been doing this show a lot for the past five or six years with the same cast (me, Kay, Jim Downum, Mary Ann Troiano and Cynthia Bergquist), with only a few occasions of other Act4 actors stepping in as understudies. It's hard to keep this particular production fresh, but thanks to the great audience and restaurant staff, A Vacation to Die For has been seriously revitalized. (Keep in mind, the last time we did the show was for a private group of mostly teenagers, and we were interrupted constantly by passing trains outside...)

Anyway, looking forward to going back to The Dinner Table Thursday, Oct. 22, with our brand new pirate show. If you missed last night, you need to come to this one. If you came last night, you already know you want to go back.

Did I mention the food was delicious?

- Chris