POLAND — Mystery for Hire, Maine’s longest running year-round mystery theater troupe, will perform throughout the summer at the Poland Spring Resort, feature a number of central Maine actors.
The troupe is performing “Lights! Camera! Mystery!,” an original Mystery for Hire script that pays tribute to Hollywood award shows.
“The show takes the audience through an evening of Hollywood glamour where anyone could win the award of their dreams,” said Dan Marois of Poland Spring, who with his wife, Denise, are owners/producers of Mystery for Hire. “There’s never a dull moment where the audience gets wrapped up in the mystery show action.”
The summer season will include some veteran performers and newcomers to the troupe. Cast members through the summer will include Marois, of Poland Spring, Brian Files of Gardiner, Steve Corning of Lewiston, CarlaRose Dubois of Lewiston, Greg Simpson of Minot, Julie Poulin, Kathleen Nation, and Amanda Kinsey of Monmouth, Molly McGill of Auburn, Marie Stewart Harmon of South Portland, Chuck Waterman of Gorham, Bob LeBlanc of Newburyport, Mass., and Joe Swenson of Scarborough.
The shows are at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, except July 5, which is a Thursday, with dinner available beforehand. Performances run through Aug. 21.
In “Lights! Camera! Mystery!”every guest is given a name tag with their special movie star name. During the course of the evening, many guests are nominated for their starring roles in fictitious movies.
“The show is a non-stop spoof of the best and the worst of Hollywood award shows,” said Marois. “We encourage guests to wear their best Hollywood attire as they walk the red carpet to the special event. They can also dress as their favorite movie star. There’s no telling what will happen when everyone is vying for top honors of the evening.”
Mystery for Hire’s hallmarks are its comic antics and ability to engage the audience in the fun of a mystery. Professional actors perform a fast action mystery with plot twists that needs to be solved. Audience members are encouraged to take notes and write down clues during the show. At the end of the performance, the audience is invited to guess how the mystery happened and who committed the evil act. The Super Sleuth Award goes to the person who most correctly guessed who did the crime.
Dinner is available before the show at Cyndi’s Dockside by ordering off the menu or with reservations at the Maine Inn Dining Room buffet. A cash bar is available. For ticket pricing, reservatins and other information, visit polandspringresort.com or call 207-998-4351.
For more info on murder mystery dinner theater, visitwww.mysteryforhire.com.
PHOTO: Mystery for Hire brings its mystery show antics to the Poland Spring Resort in a performance of “Lights! Camera! Mystery!” for nine shows this summer. The cast, from left to right, are Kathleen Nation, Bob LeBlanc, Julie Poulin and Greg Simpson. (Submitted photo)
