By: Minh Nguyen, Staff Writer
It’s opening night for NU Theatre Department’s murder mystery dinner theatre experience — the first one its staged in almost four years.
“Murder at Cafe Noir” opens at 7 p.m. tonight in the Jabara Flexible Theatre in DeMattias Hall and will run through Saturday.
Directed by Newman Theatre Director Mark Mannette, the play follows Rick Archer, a private investigator on the lost island of Mustique. The performance features Austin Schwartz as Rick Archer, Rebekah Lipinski as Sheila Wonderly, Daniel Knolla as Simon Gutterman, Marie Moore as Maria Larue, Emily Maddux as Madam Toureau, Brenden Schwartz as Thursby/Vangilder/Rigfield and Matthew Clark as Anthony Cairo.
The murder mystery will be interactive and involve audience participation.
“There are many improvised actor-to-audience moments that can change both the direction of the story and the relationship between the actors and specific members of the audience,” Knolla said. “There are votes, full-on conversations... The audience is literally in Cafe Noir, so you are there with us while the story happens.”
Mannette said he likes that the play is environmental and that the actors will be “all over the room.”
Attendees will also be served a four-course meal from Great Western Dining consisting of tomato bisque, Caribbean chicken with mango salsa, rice pilaf with couscous and Barbados Key lime zested cheesecake. There will also be a vegetarian option.
Tickets can be purchased for $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Advance tickets can be found at https://onthestage.tickets/show/newman-university/murder-at-cafe-noir-48311/tickets
PHOTO: Courtesy Photo, John Suffield
