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Caledon Town Hall Players present new play murder mystery play

October 31, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Comedy is a frequent favourite of the Caledon Town Hall Players (CTHP). But, for a change, their next play, opening Nov. 9 and 10 with evening and matinee performances, is A Party to Murder by Marcia Kash and Doulas E. Hughes.

“This is a drama,” said Gord Gardiner, who is acting in the play. “A suspenseful murder mystery play and we’re having a great time making the suspense pop out.”

In brief, this is a story of six people arriving at a secluded cabin on an island at Halloween, where they have come to play in a murder mystery game. Gathered together are three women and three men, invited by mystery writer, Charles Prince. To begin, no one in the group of six knows anyone else. A few of them have been here before but two of the women are up for the first time.

Matters take a rapid turn from what might have been fun for the party players to sinister and – oh no! What will happen now?

A death – a murder of one of them occurs, but by what hand and who is next? Now the guests must solve this mystery as though their own lives depend on it.

“The winner of the game won a unique prize but winds up dead,” Mr. Gardiner told us. “The rest of them have to figure who, why, when and how before it happens again.”

Playing the role of Willy, a former football player with a great sense of humour, Gardiner added about the usual outcome of the game, according to its reputation “Normally, no one actually dies.”

Director of the show, Stephanie Bailey is stepping in for Pam Niesiobedzki-Curtis, the original director. Unfortunately, an injury stopped her from continuing but the troupe are still very much using her vision of the play. Pam Niesiobedzki-Curtis is a multi-decades-long member of the CTHP and has directed many plays, as well as taking on every role a community theatre asks over the years, the usual and much-loved aspect of being involved.

Murder mysteries always delight in odd characters and when asked about them, we were told the characters each have their quirks. They are very well written, and very distinctive from each other.

“As an actor,” said Gardiner, “it has been a lot of fun to act the difference.”

Rehearsals are going very well, as he assured us, in spite of a reduction in their usual time of two months rather than three. Yet, they have such a good bond amongst them that everything has been coming along beautifully.

With more than 60 years of producing shows people love, the CTHP has an audience that is strong and loyal. Subscription sales are good, “probably because they enjoy our plays,” Gardiner attested. He said he also appreciates how this community theatre company is entrenched in Caledon Village.

Occasionally, some members of the CTHP participate in the Canada Day Strawberry Festival on the Fairgrounds of the village and other events. They used to be involved back when there was a Santa Claus parade.

“Our people will go to community events,” he said.

So far ticket sales are doing well and the traditional dinner nights of the Saturday evening shows are still being offered across the street at Knox United Church.

“Patrons will want to come to see A Party to Murder because it is not our usual fare,” Gardiner made the point. “We’ve done comedy for years and choosing this play, it was an excellent read. Let’s do something different, we decided. Our actors are putting their dramatic faces on. It’s an exciting difference.” 

There is a twist ending – of course!!

The play will run over two weekends – Nov. 9 and 10 as well as 15 and 16.

Tickets are on sale now. To buy tickets, visit caledontownhallplayers.com/online-ticket-orders or call (519) 927-5460.

For dinner theatre tickets call (519) 927-5460.

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