Alamogordo, New Mexico Sponsors "Hula and Homicide" Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

Friday, July 13, 2018

The city of Alamogordo, New Mexico engaged the acting troupe of the Guild to write, produce and direct a murder mystery dinner theater event at the Willie Estrada Civic Center on First Street.

Employees of the city decorated and set up for the event including providing a caterer and DJ DIGUMSMAK. Decorations included the semblance of a huge tree in the middle of the room, various scenes set up along the walls providing photographic opportunities, an area for the Hoola Hoop contest and one for the Limbo Stick contest. DIGUMSMAK kept appropriate music going for an island luau and many attendees wore costumes adding to the over all ambience. At the entry to the event, a roasted pig is on a large platter surrounded by melons with island designs carved in them with flower petals strewn about.

Food provided by the caterer was quite delicious and filling. On the menu was pulled pork, roasted vegetables, coconut pudding and fruit cup. The city also provided a bar and bartender and there ensued a happy hour from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. However, the bar was open until 10:00 pm.

The premise of the Murder Mystery is that a cruise ship has engine problems and had to put into port for repairs. People were allowed to debark and explore the area. There is a beach carnival of sorts going on underwritten by Eunice "Lovey" and Thurston Howell III. They invited the somewhat  discomfited cruise patrons to come to the carnival to experience some island hospitality.

Both the Hoola Hoop and Limbo Stick contests were well attended and prizes relating to the occasion were awarded to the winners. Prizes were also awarded for the best costumes and of course for those who solved the murder or came close.

There were fifteen actors involved in "Hula and Homicide". One of the most popular booths was the fortune teller, Madame Knowsitall aka Jan Wafful. When the event was over there was still a line waiting for their fortune to be revealed.

Seven writers met at various times to put this Murder Mystery together and had a really FUN time doing it. They are Connie Breding, Roque Rosales, Mary Cobb, JD and Steph Hilliard, Carla Kerr and Andrea Garcia. Kudos for a terrific job of creating this play and to Connie for taking our writing and tweaking it here and there.

Special thanks to JD Hilliard who quite ably stepped into the role of co-director due to Connie Breding having a previous engagement that evening.  JD kept the whole event running smoothly and timely.

The exact number of attendees is not to be had at this station, but it was certainly over 125 and more tables had to be set up as people came in later. It was apparent that people really enjoyed the event and really got into the island atmosphere.

Attendee definitely into the island theme, Trudy Reese

Attendee Darla Shelly. Doesn't she look lovely!

L to R: Thurston Howell III aka Doug Kerr, JD Hilliard aka Willy Wipeout and Kathy Barnes aka Linda Lava

A table of happy attendees. Looks like they've overcome their chagrin at being unexpectedly stranded on this island.

A shot of the room overall

Heather Evans aka Sandy Beach with her two sons

An earlier shot of the "tree".

L to R: Willy Wipeout, Linda Lava, Ellie Mauger aka Wanda Waves holding a hoola hoop and Gabe Mauger aka Todd Tycoon

Carla Kerr aka Eunice "Lovey" Howell and Tina Lawhorn aka Rachel Rainbow

Mandy Neilson aka Kiki Kalua

What luau would be complete without a roasted pig?

Our excellent DJ DIGUMSMAK

Keddy Richardson aka Wowie Maui

Andrea Garcia aka Lula Hula with Wowie Maui

Attendee Gail Swineford

L to R: Kiki Kalua, Mary Cobb aka Leilani Lei and Wanda Waves

Eunice Howell greeting attendees

Attendees getting their fortune told by Jan Wafful aka Madame Knowsitall

Attendees sharing information on how to solve the murder

Wanda Waves

Contestants in the Hoola Hoop Contest

Attendees enjoying the festivities

Willy Wipeout explaining the rules of the Limbo Stick Contest

Wanda Waves showing them how it's done

Wowie Maui giving it a try

This is the lady who eventually won the Limbo Contest

This young lady won second place

This is the murder victim found on the beach, Michael MaGoo, owner of the Big Kahuna Development Company and highly disliked by a number of people.

The line-up at the fortune teller booth keeps growing!

An Alamogordo family takes advantage of a photo op

Eunice Howell answers questions from attendees who are trying to solve the murder of Michael MaGoo

Madame Knowsitall answering questions from attendees

Actors being introduced by Willy Wipeout far left. L to R: Kiki Kalua, Linda Lava, Rachel Rainbow, Wanda Waves, Todd Tycoon, Patrick McDonald aka Detective Dan-O, Sandy Beach, Leilani Lei, Wowie Maui, Eunice Howell and Lulu Hula. Missing are Thurston Howell III, Roque Rosales aka Looney Lou and Madame Knowsitall who is still telling fortunes.

Attendees with their newborn

Gail and Trudy, Costume Prize Winners with Eunice Howell

Another lovely attendee

Thurston Howell III with his wife Eunice "Lovey" Howell

This was such a FUN experience. Thanks to all who came and participated in our Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. We have plans to do another one in October based on "The Phantom of the Opera" so be watching for the announcements.

This is all I have to say for now.

Theatre on the Hill Actors in Murder Mystery Weekend

Friday-Sunday, February 16-18, 2018

"Murder on the Cloudcroft Express", a spoof of Murder on the Orient Express, a play written and directed by Connie Breding, drama professor at NMSU-A in Alamogordo, was presented for a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Weekend at the Lodge Resort and Spa in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. The hotel was sold out with people coming from several states around as well as across New Mexico for this FUN, interactive experience.

It is set in the early 1920's so the cast dressed appropriately for the era. The back story is that we are on the Cloudcroft Express from Phoenix, Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, when we are on the Mexican Train Trestle at Cloudcroft there is an avalanche trapping us on the tracks. The engineer is able to back the train up enough so that the ski patrol and the Lodge employees are able to rescue us and bring us to the Lodge until the tracks can be cleared. As we are leaving the train a dead gentleman is discovered in his sleeping quarters and it appears he has been murdered and so it goes from there.

We have a cast of seventeen plus two crew members (Connie Breding, the director and Geowie Mosqueda, her able assistant).

We all had a marvelous time as did the attendees and I say this because they had many complimentary remarks to make about our actors.

On Friday night, we attended a champagne cocktail party with all the hotel clients and had dinner with them as well. They asked many questions about the dead man while trying to solve "who dunnit".

We had a repeat of the cocktail party and dinner on Saturday night and someone else gets murdered during that time. Now things get complicated for everyone! I did manage to get some great pictures of the cast that I will share with you.

Prince Advilromanoff played by Philipp Hedfeld

Anthony Falconetti (Fast Tony) played by Patrick McDonald

Sergeant Morrisey played by Gabe Mauger and Miss Jane Marple played by Ellie Mauger

Gerda Schmolsson played by Carla Kerr

Myron Buck played by Tony Calderon

Geowie Mosqueda, all around go-to guy for whatever you need and Connie's able assistant

Ed Minuteman played by John Burnie

Princess Advilromanoff played by Keddy Richardson with her prince

Hercules Parrot, played by JD Hilliard

Professor Connie Breding giving last minute instructions in the green room

Anthony Falconetti and Hercules Parrot

Heather Evans played by Hester McQueen

Contessa Dragonitsky played by Ulrike Burgheim

Marilee Devonshire played by Susan Gallegos

Helga Mortenson played by Andrea Garcia

Hercules Parrot, Prince Advilromanoff and Princess Advilromanoff, strategizing

Cornelia Cuppboard played by Deborah Cobb

Most of the Cast

The above pictures were taken on Saturday night. The following pictures were taken on Sunday morning, February 18, 2018, where we reveal the winners who solved the murders and award prizes right after an excellent breakfast. First, second and third prizes are given by the Lodge Resort and Spa and the Booby Prize and Costume Prize are given by the NMSU-A Theatre Guild.

JD Hilliard with the winner of the First Prize

Winner of the Second Prize with JD

Winner of the Third Prize with JD

Winner of the Booby Prize, a bottle of New Mexico wine, flanked by Carla Kerr and JD

Rachel, winner of the Best Costume Prize, a bottle of New Mexico wine, with Carla and JD

I do apologize for not getting the rest of the names of the prize winners. We will be doing this again on April 27-29, 2018 at the Lodge Resort and Spa in Cloudcroft because they sold out and had a waiting list of people wanting to come and I will make sure to get the prize winners names this time.

I also failed to get a picture of Monica Desjardins who played the part of Dr. Tina Constant, Coroner and Julia Newton who played the part of Hildegarde Schmitten. My apologies to both of you. I'll catch you on the next one.

If you ever have a chance to play in one of these murder mysteries, don't hesitate. For the most part, it is improvisational and you have a chance to really get into your character. Tons of FUN.

This is all I have to say for now.