The Glowing Review Our New Show Deserves

Christopher Manson, Act4 Ninja, writes:

I got up a little earlier than usual Sunday morning and fired up the computer, expecting to see some glowing reviews of the previous evening’s world premiere of Act4Mystery’s “Sweet and Deadly.”

Sadly, the local media went to sleep on this event, which leaves me to contribute the sole glowing review of the show.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I performed in this show, and I was amazing.

***

Saturday, October 23, brought the world premiere of Act4Mystery's SWEET AND DEADLY to Samuel's Roadhouse in Crestview. The crowd at Samuel’s has been very receptive to the hijinks of Paula Hilton and her troupe of players over the years, and last night was no exception.

And for good reason. The show was dynamite.

First off, this is one solid cast -- Chris Manson as Bunky Wonky, Kay Yarbrough as Mama Wynona, Cynthia Bergquist as Kitty Wonkus, and Jim Downum as Tommy Wunkus — have performed brilliantly in these roles in previous shows, yet they have individually brought fascinating new layers to their familiar characters without sacrificing the funny.

Mary Ann Troiano, who in the past portrayed the conniving ex of both Mr. Manson and Mr. Downum’s characters, launched into a new role as a carnival worker hilariously named Connie Bee Rebel.

Once again, our femme fatale pits best friends Bunky and Tommy against each other, but thanks to the next-level acting, this routine remains fresh and funny. Ms. Troiano, dressed in a sexy outfit complete with body-strangling leather pants, does not regurgitate her old Becky character. She does something completely new, and it’s funny to boot.

As always, Ms. Yarbrough and Ms. Bergquist mine for comic gold with great success. The latest plot twist finds Mama a recent Powerball lottery winner — and heavy drinker — with Kitty pursuing Bunky and depleting her mother’s recently earned fortune.

When Connie Bee enters the picture, conflicts rear their ugly ol’ heads, and this well-oiled cast delivers the goods. Whether they’re up in each other’s faces hollerin’ or dancin' — quite well, thanks to the efforts of Act4 choreographer Rochelle Kimball — to a golden oldie from the Hollies, this is a show for the ages.

I can only hope this marvelous cast will mount this show again in the very near future. Writer and Act4 founder Ms. Hilton has birthed a script full of comic gems and jaw-dropping plot twists. SWEET AND DEADLY deserves a wider audience, and I’m certain it will find one.

Again, I must mention Mr. Manson, who is quite brilliant and continues to amaze me with his virtuoso versatility.

For news about upcoming performances, I encourage you to visit www.act4mystery.com as often as possible.

Cutting Loose!

I don't know how many people out there who follow us have their own small business. But this blog is for you! Just wanted to let you know I totally understand how the smallest thing can have the biggest impact where a small business is concerned.  This came into play last week when our lawn guy accidentally cut our business line. Cut it. As in... cut it. He was cutting the shrubs, but also cut the phone line. And the phone quit ringing. And then we start getting Facebook messages, "Hey, you aren't picking up and it's not going to voice mail!" And, "Did you know your phone just rings and rings?" We didn't know the line had been cut, obviously, so two days later when CenturyLink arrived and found the problem, it was already too late for our weekly show. No phone, no calls, no reservations.

Just the smallest thing can knock a small business to their knees. If I mess up making a change on our website, for example, which did happen a few months ago, suddenly the website is no longer accessible. I owe Brenda Shoffner at the NWF Daily News a big thank you, by the way, as she actually emailed me and let me know my website was broken.

Or if power or water goes out at the restaurant even for a few hours, forget about seeing us! This actually happened a few years ago. A water pipe was knocked out, and the entire Okaloosa Island was without power. No restaurants, no traffic lights, so no Act4Mystery either!

Then there's all the little day to day things that can put us right on the edge. I've run out of printer ink at midnight the night before a show when I'm trying to print out our handouts. So there goes the Act4 Ninja, running to "The Walmart" in the middle of the night so I can finish getting everything together.  I've forgotten to buy props and even forgotten a certain costume or prop is broken and needs repairs until right before the next performance. So human error can also throw a big wrench into the works - and yes, it's usually my error but not always...

I have one actor who forgot we had a show! He wasn't at the restaurant on time, so I started to worry, gave him a call, and found him just getting off of his boat.  The conversation went something like this:

Him: "Why are you calling?"

Me: "Because we have a show tonight and you're in it!"

Him: "Oh CRAP!"

I could go on and on. We've been performing for FIFTEEN YEARS and the stories are endless. But for now, I'll just end with the phone is working again and we're currently back in business! So give us a call. We're a great excuse to get out and... cut loose!   -- Paula

Belly Laughs and Whipped Cream

I realized as I gave my iced-coffee a healthy squirt of whipping cream this morning that every day should include this delicious mouthful of sweetness. That and a good belly laugh. I'm thankful I'm able to provide some of those for the folks here on the Emerald Coast. And not just here, I have groups around the country and the world who perform my shows.  So, in a sense, I'm helping to promote World Peace through giggles and guffaws.

We handed out a few of those last night at Samuel's Roadhouse Grill in Crestview with a show I wrote in 2010 called HORSIN' AROUND WITH MURDER. The show centers around a real-life event that occurs every 4 years called the Federation Equestre Internationale (French: International Federation for Equestrian sport) World Equestrian Games. For those of you with inquisitive minds and would like more detail, here's a little blurb from their website:

"The FEI World Equestrian Games™, held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, is one of the biggest events on the global sporting calendar, combining eight equestrian World Championship caliber events in a pre-determined location. The FEI disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – are all included on the competition schedule, while equestrian-focused demonstrations and exhibitions will also be hosted throughout the duration of the event. The 2018 edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ will be held in Mill Spring, NC, over thirteen days from September 11-23rd, 2018 at Tryon International Equestrian Center."

In 2010 was asked by a murder mystery theater owner from Lexington, Kentucky, Dana Edison of Bluegrass Mystery Theater, if I had a show about horses. I didn't, so decided to write one. I had to learn all about this event and the disciplines involved. Honestly, it made me want to hop in the car and head up to the event! And I still feel that way.  Maybe I will this year!  But in the meantime, I hope you can come see HORSIN' sometime this summer - it's on the schedule for La Paz in Destin, and won't be back until 2022 when the games return. The actors in the show - Cynthia Bergquist, Susan DeJesus, Jim Downum, Chris Manson and Sally Whitesell, are fantastically funny. And I couldn't spread all this World Peace without talent like theirs. 

Thanks to all!  -- Paula Hilton 

Deneeze Areshot (Susan DeJesus) and Houston Dallas (Jim Downum)  get cozy near the horses.

Taryn Wear (Cynthia Bergquist), Deneeze Areshot (Susan DeJesus) and Cheyanne Sassy (Sally Whitesell) make nice.

Steed Roper (Chris Manson) and Cheyanne Sassy (Sally Whitesell) make nice and make cozy!

It's been too long...

... since I've had the time or opportunity to perform with Act4Mystery. Honestly, it takes up all my time writing new shows, directing, producing, advertising, modifying our website and dealing with all the things you have to deal with when you have a small business.  Add to that the decision to change our name from Act4Murder to Act4Mystery and you can imagine the amount of "free time" I have.  Not much. So the idea of learning lines and getting out there again was a little daunting. But the opportunity came up, I felt sort of caught up, and so I decided to do it. And what fun I had!

We had two performances of KNOCK 'EM DEAD this week where I played the deliciously funny role of Miss Royal Payne, a real royal pain! We had great audiences at both La Paz in Destin and Samuel's Roadhouse in Crestview, the cast was amazing (thank you to Debby Geisen, Cynthia Bergquist, Joe Chase, Jim Downum and Chris Manson for your great performances, and to Jessika Kelsh for managing the Samuel's show for us), and overall I think I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  We may perform this one a time or two this summer at La Paz, so if you didn't get a chance to see it, the opportunity may come up again.  And keeping my fingers crossed I'll get to keep my role and get out there again!  Thanks to all our fans - we'd be nothing but a group of tired old actors rehearsing in our garage if it weren't for all of you!  :)  -- Paula Hilton

Divas Royal Payne (Paula Hilton), Marion Haste (Debby Geisen) and Augusta Wind (Cynthia Bergquist from KNOCK 'EM DEAD.

Act4 what?!

Wow, things are happening at Act4Mystery!  Wait... what? Act4 what?

Let me explain!

I started Act4MURDER in 2000 in California by writing a couple of scripts and putting them up on the world wide web to purchase for performance.  Things weren't all that bad in 2000 as far as the world went. But here we are in 2018 and you can't turn on the TV without seeing something horrible that someone has done to someone else.  I decided I do not want to add to that, and I was afraid the word "murder" in our name might lead some people to believe we are all for it, which isn't the case at all. We're all about laughter, having a good time, making fun of ourselves, and offering adult entertainment that includes great stories, music and fun.  So, when I started running out of merchandise at the end of 2017, it seemed like a good time to make a name change. And now we are Act4Mystery.  Same performance group, just a different name doing the same thing: Performing comedic murder mysteries for dinner theater.

I made another change too. Because some people would prefer NOT to share a table during dinner, we're now giving you that choice. When you make your reservation, let us know if you are OK with being seated with others, you aren't OK with that, or if it doesn't make any difference to you one way or the other you can tell us that too.  Hopefully this will get some of you in to see us who haven't done so before because of the seating issue.

AND in February, we're offering Valentine's Day candy and a single red rose along with our VIP packages.  We're still selling the old Act4Murder shirts and notebooks in the packages until we run out, so be sure to buy them up while you can. (They're bound to be a collector's item one of these days, right? LOL!)

Thanks to all our friends and fans, and hope to see you at a show in 2018!  -- Paula Hilton, Founder (seen below with Chris Manson, Act4Mystery NINJA)

Nate who?!

The show must go on! That's what they say anyway. But tell that to my actors who were scheduled to perform last night at La Paz for a private party. "Are we cancelling?" they asked. "I mean, we're cancelling, right?"  With all the hype going on all week it was tempting... but, I got in touch with the group and nope, no way were they cancelling, so neither were we!

This group was getting married the next day (today) come hell or high water. And I do mean high water. Because Nate came and went leaving quite a mess behind him. But the point is, they were getting married, and they wanted their show! So we gave them a show! Nate conveniently didn't drop any rain on us until sometime in the middle of the night, the actors and guests all made it to and from La Paz without a spec of rain on them, and the show went on without a hitch.

Thanks so much to my fantastic cast of SEX, LIES, AND MAIL-ORDER BRIDES!  You guys were real troupers and I appreciate your hard work and dedication.  Another reason I love Act4Murder!

-- Paula

Cynthia Bergquist and Chris Manson braving the storm at La Paz!

New Mysterious Grounds!

With our summer shows behind us, we're slipping into our Fall schedule with little fanfare. EXCEPT for the fact we are FINALLY doing a show out on 30A!!  We'll be at Redd's Fueling Station Saturday night, September 23, and it's our very first public show out that way!  Excited to bring our one-of-a-kind humor to those folks.

That said, our web guru forgot to add Redd's to our pulldown list for reservations.  I chastised her (ME, I'M the web guru) and fixed the code tonight, but like my old friend Julie Shaw always said, "DAAAAAANG!" What a way to mess up.  :(

At any rate, IF the show goes on, we'll be performing A MEDLEY TO DIE FOR.  Hoping anyone reading this who lives out in the 30A area will make reservations this week (it's working now, I promise!).  Details are on our website (www.act4murder.com) and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/act4whodunnit).

Hope to see you there!  -- Paula

15 Years of KILLING IT!

We've had a fantastic summer! Great shows at La Paz in Destin, Samuel's Roadhouse Grill in Crestview, the Twisted Grape in Shalimar, and various private shows all over the area including Navarre, Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola Beach. This past Saturday we had such a great show at the Elk's Lodge on Pensacola Beach that the actors in the show, KILLER IN THE KITCHEN, sent emails back and forth congratulating themselves.  One of the actors, David Smith, has his own pool cleaning business and, in fact, cleans our pool. My boyfriend/Act4Murder Ninja said that today (the day David cleans our pool) David didn't have time to clean the pool because they spent so much time patting each other on the backs!  How funny is that?!  Here are excerpts from their emails:

From Joe Chase: Last night was a uniquely special performance... Everyone was a star!  It's rare that everyone in the cast can stand out at the same time. But last night that happened and it was very special.
From Chris Manson:  What a night. You always go in hoping it will be good, but you never expect the Best Show Ever. 
From Missy Rogers We were all on point last night and it showed through in the performance. I love this show and can't imagine it with any other cast. Congrats to everyone!
From David Smith: Totally was an awesome performance by the whole cast... it was one of the most receptive audience that I have ever been a part of... such a pleasure performing with this great cast.
From Kay Yarbrough: Great show! Two standing ovations. A comment that we were better than Broadway and an on spot cast. Thank you my fellow actors and the Pensacola Beach Elks Club!

Congratulations KILLERS!  I love it that after 15 years of performance we are still KILLING it!

Posted by PAULA HILTON, ACT4MURDER FOUNDER

Our Latest Press Release - The 10th Annual Act4Murder Accolades!

Act4Murder founder Paula Hilton and Act4Murder Ninja Chris Manson hosted the 10th Annual Act4Murder Accolades Saturday, February 4, at “Beachfront Beauty" on Pensacola Beach. The party was attended by the actors and their guests, along with Ms. Hilton's parents, Paulina and Jim Hilton, sister Dr. Julie McNabb, and niece Krista McNabb. Ms. Hilton wore a floor-length metallic-mesh embroidered A-line ballgown by Jessica Howard, and Mr. Manson greeted guests in a black tuxedo with silver bow-tie. Keeping with the theme, “Stick with Act4Murder,” guests were treated to a variety of food “on sticks,” including Chinese Pork Meatballs, Deep-Fried Ravioli, Crispy Orange Beef, Mojo Pork Kebobs, Ground Shrimp, Chicken Satay, Sweet Potato Round, Crab Cake Bites and Wedge Salad.  For dessert, a Chocolate Fountain with Marshmallows and Strawberries (on sticks) complimented the delicous selection of cookies from Sundy Schwartz Keichel of Keichel Cookies.

The awards are voted on by Act4Murder's cast and crew. Winners included:  Best Show, Pirates, Lies, and Mail-Order Brides; Best Couple (tie) Jessika Kelsh and Mark Clutter, and Kay Yarbrough and Ron Altman; Best Villainess, Mary Ann Troiano; Best Villain, Ken Olson; Best Killer (Actress), Kay Yarbrough; Best Killer (Actor), Joe Chase; Best Sleuth (Actress), Kay Yarbrough; Best Sleuth (Actor), Chris Manson; Best Supporting Actress, Cynthia Bergquist; Best Supporting Actor, Joe Chase; Best Actress, Kay Yarbrough; Best Actor, Joe Chase and Chris Manson (tie). Miss Congeniality was awarded to Jessika Kelsh, and Mr. Congeniality to Ron Altman, for their rehearsal and performance night demeanor. Best "Prop and Costume" work was awarded to Mr. and Mrs. Hilton, Best Supporter to Dr. McNabb, and Best Choreographer to Rochelle Kimball.

In addition to two 15-minute videos created by Ms. Hilton featuring last year’s Accolades and performance highlights of 2016, actors were also recognized for their community service in 2016, including volunteering for several Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation events, volunteer performances for winners of the Pensacola Little Theater and Destin Charity Wine Auctions, volunteer performances for the Arc of the Emerald Coast, and performing during a presentation at the Walton County Coastal Library for their Winter series.

The evening ended with dancing to some of the top pop and country hits of 2016, with a couple of old school Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton songs slipped in for Mr. and Mrs. Hilton. 

Act4Murder was founded in 2003. In 2016 they performed for over 2000 guests at public, private and fundraising events. They are entering their 15th performance year and plan to “stick around” for some time.  For more information about Act4Murder, call (850) 862-2885 or visit www.act4murder.com.

From left - Best Choreographer Rochelle Kimball, Founder Paula Hilton, Best Couple and Miss Congeniality Jessika Kelsh, Best Costume and Prop Master Paulina Hilton, Best Supporters Krista McNabb and Dr. Julie McNabb.  Photo by Bailey Eubanks

Out of my head...

Hello everyone! Especially those of you who have been waiting forever to hear from me.  I've discovered I'm one of those writers who does a lot of writing in my head.  It's sort of constant, actually, thinking of how I would word this or that, and how I could make it colorful or funny or poignant. And then I just move right on to the next thing I start writing about... in my head.  If it weren't for my murder mysteries, maybe I wouldn't get anything down on paper at all! I guess that's not exactly true.  Every other month I write an 800-word essay for a local magazine under a fictitious name.  I've been doing that for 7 years now, so I guess I am at least disciplined enough to do that. And my murder mysteries. I'm working on #33 now.  Kind of stuck on the title but I'm leaning towards SLEIGHING THE RED-NOSED REDNECKS.  Hmmm, not bad.

Anyway, I've written a ton of stuff for this blog, in my head, for the past 8 months or however long it's been.  But Saturday night, October 15, I had to manage one of my shows, and it was such a great experience I decided to get out of my head and put pen to paper.

But let me start at the beginning. I say "had to manage" because normally I don't.  My second-in-command, Chris Manson, manages all the shows, leaving me to write, direct, produce, book, advertise and take care of anything else that has to happen to keep our business going.  But Saturday night I had booked two shows. It wasn't an accident - I have the casts needed to perform two shows on one night, it's just that they have to be very particular shows, shows that have unique casts to both.  I had done this, but that meant I would need to manage one of the shows, as Chris would be performing and managing the other.

The show I had to manage was a fairly good-sized show for a group calling themselves the "USS MILLS Reunion."  I figured it was a ship of some kind, so on the day of the show I spent about half an hour reading up on them.  The USS MILLS was a Navy ship built for World War II.  WWII? I started worrying we may have some trouble projecting loud enough where people who served on a WWII vessel could hear us. I sent out an email to my actors - BE SURE TO PROJECT TONIGHT! But then I saw the ship had continued working after WWII, and was involved in Operation Deep Freeze in the late 60's. My Dad was in his 30's in the late 60's, and is 83 now, so he does have some hearing problems, but with his hearing aids in he generally does OK. I stopped worrying.  My audience might be older but we'd make sure they could see and hear the show!

When my daughter and I got there (she was working as my assistant because of the number of people who were going to be in attendance) we found the walls lined with silent auction items, most of them having to do with WWII, Operation Deep Freeze and/or the USS Mills.  And the guests, who were supposed to arrive at 6:00, were already beginning to arrive at 4:30, checking out the items and visiting amongst themselves.  We noticed there was a big variety of ages, too, not just older veterans, but younger people, even kids.  And there was this warm, friendly feeling in the air - a feeling of familiarity, continuity and family.  

My part of the evening was supposed to start at around 6:30, so I didn't have a clue why they were all there so early. Turns out they scheduled a Vow Renewal for a couple who had married years and years ago. And then they had what is called the "Two Bell Ceremony," honoring crew members who died this past year, followed by a haunting recording of Taps. After that they put on their party hats and played a rousing game of Trivia, then the professional photographer they had with them started lining them up for group photos. And then finally it was our turn.  I didn't know how they'd receive this crazy murder mystery, but I shouldn't have worried.  They laughed all night long, and after the show, were effusive with their compliments.

The thing about this night that made it worth writing about though, really had to do with them, not us. Talking to the organizers afterwards, they told us that they had a crew of 175, and that every year they get at least 100 people at their reunion. That it's not just the crew, but the crew and their families that attend. And that in doing so, they've grown into a very large family of the USS MILLS. And I can't say I have ever met a warmer group of people.  They served their country, are proud of themselves and their country, and they are hell-bent to keep that family AND their country intact.  God Bless You, “USS MILLS Reunion!”  And thank you for choosing us for your entertainment this year.  My amazing cast and crew of DECKED OUT FOR DEATH, Joe Chase, Jim Downum, Kay Yarbrough, Susan DeJesus, Kristi Morris, Jessika Kelsh and I, will never forget tonight!

Act4 Rocks First Show of 2016

Many of the Act4Murder cast have participated in large scale stage productions, and I like to think of those groups as something akin to orchestras while Act4 is more like a rock band. Meaning - with our minimal props and small casts - we can adapt to last minute changes (in other words, crises) better than, say, the local production of Mary Poppins or whatever.

For our first show of 2016, we had planned to do our old tried-and-true redneck wedding show Podunk Pandemonium at La Paz in Destin (a great venue, and all you Destin residents should throw your support behind Chatham Morgan's just-announced City Council bid). We had an informal rehearsal the Tuesday prior (okay, we drank and ate a lot and might have gone over some of the script) and everything seemed fine.

Friday, as my job description as the Act4 Ninja specifies, I got the Podunk props, along with my guitar, harmonica, costume and finally-broke-in cowboy boots together early so I could work on my other job as editor of the local entertainment publication The Beachcomber. I planned to arrive at La Paz around 5 p.m. to get the show ready prior to the guests' arrival around 6:30.

At around 3, I received notification that one of the cast members had been rushed to the hospital and would obviously not be able to perform. Since we didn't have an understudy for this particular role, we freaked out for a while and then decided we'd put on our go-to show Decked Out for Death. This show was written by Act4 founder Paula Hilton with the idea that we could switch out any or all of the characters and actors and still make sense.

Phone calls were made, and two of the actors not in Podunk graciously came in at the last minute, while the remainder of us had to brush up on completely different characters and dialogue.

And somehow that first show of the new year went off without a hitch. Literally. Because nobody got hitched, because we didn't do the redneck wedding show.

Anyway, big thanks to my cast mates Joe Chase, Sally Whitesell, Cynthia Bergquist and Kay Yarbrough for your spectacular hoop jumping. The cast member that had to go to the hospital is doing fine by the way. 

We're excited to be back at La Paz Friday, Jan. 22, for A Condo to Kill For. Or maybe something else depending on how things go.

Because you just never know, do you?

- Chris

Annual October Frenzy!

The past week with Act4Murder was filled with the usual October craziness - several shows at multiple locations.  It's funny because in October we also compete with the World Series, the NFL, and about 15 different Halloween-themed fundraisers and events, but we still manage to bring in decent-sized audiences and have a blast in the process.  This year was particularly challenging because we had two shows on one night - and one of them, for over 200 guests, was in Mobile, Alabama.  It meant Chris and I had to figure out how to split up the sound equipment, table decorations, and "dead" props (stretcher, wheelchair, guns, that kind of thing). But we did it, and we both managed our shows (him in Crestview, me in Mobile) effectively with no giant problems.  Made me feel pretty good about how efficient we've become.  And both casts did a great job too!

Chris managed three more shows this week - 4C BBQ in DeFuniak Springs, La Paz in Destin, and our final Halloween show last night at The Club at Hidden Creek in Navarre.  He did a fantastic job, as usual, and I couldn't be happier with our October shows.

Next up, a slew of private parties.  They're coming in fast and furious and I'm having a heck of a time keeping up! But if you're thinking of hiring us for your own party, just send me an email and I'll get you on the calendar.

Happy November everyone! -- Paula

Two for Two at Destin, Florida's Dinner Table

Our second show at The Dinner Table in Destin was just as fun as the first, maybe more fun. Our Oct. 22 performance of Pirates, Lies and Mail-Order Brides (formerly Sex, Lies and Mail-Order Brides) was a big hit. The cast - me, David Smith, Mark Clutter, Ken Olson, Mary Ann Troiano and Kristi Morris - was spot-on, the audience was lively, and restaurant honcho Bridget Carnley and her staff did the expected great job.

Nobody outside of the cast dressed like a pirate, aside from one guy that sported an eyepatch during the last scene. Another fellow brought a bottle of Pyrat Rum that he refused to share with the cast (can't say I blame him). The audience question and answer participation segment was particularly memorable.

We can't wait to go back to this place, so call 'em up or stop by (breakfast and lunch daily except Wednesdays, dinner Thursday through Saturday) and tell them to bring back Act4Murder!

If you still want to see our latest pirate spectacular (complete with song and dance numbers!), make your reservations for next week's shows in DeFuniak Springs and Navarre at www.act4murder.com.

- Chris

We Know All About Your Privates...

We love performing for private groups, whether it's 20 or 200 (or more). Friday night, Act4Murder customized Redneck Rivalry - a funny and songful story of feuding cousins, love triangles and bacon - for 60 very enthusiastic folks in town from California. The cast - me, David Smith, Sally Whitesell, Kristi Morris and Karen Monroe - were provided with some personal info on the guests from our generous event organizer Don Fruta, and all were well-received by the targets of our "additional dialogue."

We can do the same for you and your friends. Just check out the private party info on our website, act4murder.com.

If you'd like to see Redneck Rivalry, we'll be back at La Paz in Destin (one of our new favorite venues) Oct. 30. Restaurant honcho Chatham Morgan promises some fantastic costume contest prizes, and we're looking forward to going back there.

- Chris

Act4Murder's Sally Whitesell and Kristi Morris working on their important pre-show tasks at La Paz in Destin, Florida.

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