Inspiration is Never Insignificant: The Backstory to Our NYE Murder Mystery Dinner

The idea of doing a Murder Mystery Dinner crossed my mind back in 2020.  Actually, it more than crossed my mind during that horrible year.  On one of our trips to visit Sophie on the Appalachian Trail, I took my hand dandy notebook of ideas with me.  Andy and I discussed doing an outdoor murder mystery dinner that would be very hands on with different “scenes” on our property diners would go to and actually do CSI type crime scene solving techniques.  We were going to loosely base the story line on an actual crime scene Andy had done when he was a Crime Scene Investigator with the Indiana State Police.  As we discussed the techniques which would be actual police techniques, Andy was a Lieutenant with the State Police in the Crime Lab Division.  He had written Standard Operating Procedures for the Department, written curriculum for CSI classes, and taught classes at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, so he was very well versed in the techniques.

As we discussed it more on that trip, Andy felt uncomfortable doing our story line because it was “too close to home”.  What if someone attended that was a family member to the victim of the actual case he had worked.  So, without a story line in mind, we tabled the discussion of doing a Murder Mystery Dinner….

That was until the beginning of 2024.  After Andy’s retirement, the remodel of moving the restaurant into the house, renovating the former Bee-stro building into The Cottage, and cancer treatments, we once again visited the idea of doing a Murder Mystery Dinner.  We figured New Year’s Eve would be the perfect time.  After all, it was several months away.  We had plenty of time to come up with a story and get prepared.

The next thing to do was to talk with staff members to see if they would be on board.  After all, we were talking New Year’s Eve, they may have plans and not want to work.  Some of them we had in mind of playing parts, whatever the parts may be.  Regardless of the position we needed filled, we needed our staff to be on board.

To my delight and perhaps Andy’s chagrin, our staff was on board.  One of the things I will say to our staff is, “Thank you for saying yes”.  Yes to accepting working with us.  They just never knew when they said yes that we may call on them to become thespians!

As winter hiatus went into our April opening and spring became the middle of summer, we still didn’t have a “clue” to what our script would be.  I looked online for a script we could use or even purchase the rights, but none of them seemed to work perfectly for us and would need to be severely tweaked.  We purchased several murder mystery games and went through the most promising ones with Rick & Mary Jo Alumbaugh, the only ones in our little show that had any acting experience.

My mind was able to wrap around Murder on the Dance Floor by Talking Tables.  I liked the idea of the 1970s disco theme.  We changed everything about it though, the names of the players, the motives, the murder weapons, the script.  We basically just used the 1970s disco concept, but it was enough to get my thoughts going.

It was early August when I sequestered myself in The Cottage for 3 days to work on the script.  The first day, I spent most of the morning once again trying to find a murder mystery play online to make things easier.  Finally, I decided to quit wasting time and write it myself.

Being born in 1969, I was a kid in the 1970s, but I have a great memory especially during those happy carefree childhood days.  I tend to gravitate toward the past.  During the last couple of years, mine and Andy’s television watching had primarily been Columbo, Hart to Hart, and Love Boat.  In addition, every year I watch Smokey and the Bandit.  I borrowed a bit of each of these 1970s hit shows and movie to create lines within the 5 Act play.  I was actually giddy and couldn’t wait to share it with our “actors”.

Besides our staff, we had talked about the idea of the Murder Mystery with our good friends Terry and Melanie Shock.  Since they were excited, I asked them if they would be willing to play a part.  They were and so was their daughter, Kendra Lex.  Terry would be the club manager.  Melanie would be Pepper Dickinson (remember Police Woman Pepper Anderson played by Angie Dickison?)  Kendra would be the receptionist.

We met for the first read through Labor Day weekend.  Besides the Shocks, we had staff members Mary Jo Alumbaugh playing the cleaning lady, Rick Alumbaugh playing the bartender, Amy Thompson playing the dancer, Lynn Stockrahm playing the hair and make-up artist, and Kara Syx playing the photographer.  Andy was going to play the detective

and I would be the narrator. 

After that first read through, Terry called to tell me he just didn’t feel like he should play the part.  Although we were disappointed, I called the person who best fit the physical description of the club owner in my mind- Gabe Stockrahm.  Gabe has a busy schedule as a sophomore at University of Indianapolis and plays football for their team.  To my delight, he immediately said “yes” and asked if he should grow his chest hair out- hahaha. 

It was hard getting a time when everyone could get together during the fall to go over the script.  I think we only got together once after Gabe came on board.  We had mentioned we were going to do a murder mystery dinner on New Year’s Eve to people in conversation and some were very eager to sign up, but I hadn’t yet sat down and figured out the menu so we could price it and announce to folks that they could order their “spot at the table”.

Because I had told someone I would for sure have it out for purchase by the end of October, I sat down and focused on what to serve and how to fit it within the script.  This might sound like it should be easy, but in reality, it took almost a full day.  It took figuring out when there were good spots to put a break in the script so we could serve each course.  Once that was done, I needed to see how many courses that would make.  Because it was a 1970s theme, I wanted the food to be food that was popular during that time period.  However, I also had to choose food that was able to be prepared somewhat ahead of time, was able to hold hot well, and could be plated quickly, not to mention something that would appeal to as wide of a variety of people as possible.  Since I wasn’t going to be in the kitchen at the time of serving, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for having most items completely made or prepped for Judah and our sous chef Sami Miller.   I think it was actually October 31 before the menu was set and the announcement went out that spots for the Murder Mystery Dinner were available for purchase.

November and December are always a blur because they are our busy times as we host parties and special events almost daily.  To be honest, Andy and I both began to question what we had gotten ourselves into thinking we could be prepared and pull off a Murder Mystery Dinner by Dec. 31.  The lack of preparedness started to give me a pit in my stomach.

When we closed for Winter Hiatus on Dec. 22, Andy & I started looking over our lines again.  On Dec. 23, Dec. 26, and on Dec. 29, we went antiquing finishing up buying those last minute vintage items we needed as props.  While I was taking a shower on Saturday morning, a eureka moment hit me- we needed a background with a disco dance floor image made for a photo booth.  I mentioned it to Andy and I could tell he wasn’t 100% on board that we could get it made and pulled together in time.   I decided to call Allen Syx, Kara’s husband who owns Game on Productions and ask him if we could get a banner made by Monday evening for the photo booth.  He stopped by and got measurements.  All this happened as we celebrated Christmas with our immediate family.  Sophie and her family came in on Friday night and stayed with us.  As the granddaughters were eating breakfast on Saturday morning, we were frantically taking down Christmas decorations so we could move tables and chairs in their places before our rehearsal Saturday evening at 4:00.  No wonder Andy was worried how we would pull it together.

Dave Loughmiller came aboard as our lighting and sound guy.  Of course, we didn’t have any of that kind of equipment, so Dave improvised a spotlight.  It was Sunday before I created the disco playlist on Spotify and then realized I should make smaller playlists between each act to make it easier for Dave.  It was while I was taking a shower on Sunday I thought how cool it would be for each suspect to walk out to a “theme” song.  I mentioned it to Andy, but he was stressed because we were so ill prepared and said we didn’t have time.  When Dave came that Sunday evening for our Murder Mystery practice, he mentioned to me that he thought each character should walk out to a theme song.  I agreed and was thrilled when he told me he had an app that could do it and would create all 7 theme songs.  I was even more thrilled when he brought them with him to our dance rehearsal on Monday evening.

Even though we were rushed those last couple of days and we wondered if we were really going to be able to pull it together, it all worked out.  We received lots of compliments.  Our crew did an amazing job.  They hit everything spot on- not just taking on the looks of their character, but wearing the character’s attitude, playing the part, and remembering their lines. 

The kitchen crew did great, too.  Even though Terry Shock didn’t end up playing the role of the club owner, he revised his real role from 1978 and worked in a restaurant kitchen.  This time it was aiding the kitchen staff at the Bee-stro instead of the Western Sizzler like he did in 1978.  We even brought in Kendra’s husband for that night.  We threw him a wig and told him to add like a DJ spinning records when folks came in.  I think that was Monday’s shower inspiration. 

As we sat still in a stupor the morning of New Year’s Day, Andy told me he had a hard time sleeping thinking about how well the Murder Mystery Dinner went.  He was amazed we pulled it off so well.  He stated that it actually felt like a party.  I think the disco music and the hard punch we served probably helped that feeling.  In reality, we were experiencing that “I can’t believe we pulled that off” euphoria.  If you have ever planned and executed anything big and out of your comfort zone before, you know that feeling.

In the end, my take aways are:

1.         We have an amazing staff and tribe who support our endeavors and are willing to jump on board our crazy train.  (If you would like to jump on board our crazy train, it is taking on at least two new servers for the 2025 Serving Season.  Reach out to me and let’s talk.)  

2.        Gratitude for our patrons who show up and seem to enjoy what we are doing whether it’s a class, holiday dinner, meal, Heat & Eat pick-ups, or a Murder Mystery Dinner.  I am awed by your encouragement.

3.        God has me in spite of my myself. It seems I always get inspired at just the right moment (usually in the shower) for just the right thing (usually something Andy thinks is a hair brain idea).  That has nothing to do with me, that goodness totally comes from God who says in scripture that he is the source of all goodness.   The word inspiration as described in the 1828 Webster Dictionary is “The infusion of ideas into the mind by the Holy Spirit.”  I feel that.  It’s not like we’re doing brain surgery here, but I believe when you entrust your life to God and just go with His flow, that He will always give you inspiration to do a job well.

As we start 2025, I hope that you and I both get inspiration to do what He wants us to do whether it’s in a writing a Murder Mystery play, potty training a kiddo, doing someone’s hair, or doing brain surgery, in God’s Kingdom, everything has significance.  Even if it is just for joy’s sake. 

Blessings,

Jodi