Auditions

Auditions: How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party (In Fifteen Simple Steps)

Auditions: How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party (In Fifteen Simple Steps)

Main Street Theatre Company & Just Off Main Productions are seeking a killer cast for the hilarious, interactive dinner theatre experience, How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party (In Fifteen Simple steps) by Brian D. Taylor.

Directed by: Emily Christensen

Produced by: Morgan Kaileigh

Stage Managed by: Megan Christensen

About the Show

What could be more fun than a dinner theatre murder mystery set at a how-to seminar about hosting a murder mystery dinner party?! Perfect for our Just Off Main interactive series, this show comes complete with audience interaction, information packets with extra clues, and multiple endings!

Host Miss Penelope Chrysler-Michelin presents her proven, fifteen-step process to the audience—the dinner guests at her seminar. To guide you through the presentation, Miss Penelope has planned her own murder mystery to play out onstage, taking guests through crucial steps like “Setting the Scene,” “Choosing Your Mark,” and “Establishing Motive.”

Her guest list is a perfect mix of suspicious characters: The Celebrity, The Writer, The Doctor, The Ladykiller. But on this dark and stormy night, the plot thickens when an unexpected visitor arrives. Good thing Miss Penelope has thought of everything, including Step Eight: “Always Have a Backup Plan.” Can anyone really be trusted?

How to Audition

Please prepare and record a 45-60 second comedic monologue. This is a show with significant audience interaction, so showcase your personality and comedic timing!

• Submission Deadline: Please email your video by Saturday, July 5th, 2025.

• Where to Send: Send a link to your video (YouTube or Google Drive preferred) to emily@mstcob.org.

• What to Include: In the body of your email, please state your full name and clearly mention any improv experience you have.

What to Expect:

• There will be no in-person callbacks for this production.

• The production team will notify all who submit of casting decisions via email by the end of the week following the deadline.

Rehearsal & Performance Schedule

Actors must be available for all tech rehearsals and performance dates.

Rehearsals:

• When: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM.

• Where: Sayreville Senior Center.

• Note: A detailed schedule will be provided. Not all actors will be called to every rehearsal.

Performances:

• When: Friday, September 5th & Saturday, September 6th, 2025.

• Where: Sayreville Senior Center.

Available Roles

• THE HOST (Miss Penelope Chrysler Michelin): Our guide; a bored heiress who’s out of touch with her audience.

• THE HOUSEKEEPER (Miss Gwyneth): Runs the household.

• THE MAID (Miss Sherry): Assistant to Miss Gwyneth.

• THE PIANIST (Harmony Kline): Helps to set the mood.

• THE GOSSIP (Gabby Reynolds): Has the dirt on everyone.

• THE CELEBRITY (Charlotte Beauregard): An off-broadway and small screen starlet.

• THE LAWYER (James Willhelm, Esq.): The most prominent lawyer in the region.

• THE FREE SPIRIT (Venus Starship): An advocate for mainstream- and fringe- issues.

• THE GROUNDSKEEPER (Hannibal Lattice): Maintains the property.

• THE DOCTOR (Dr. Jennifer Nightingale): A successful family physician.

• THE LADYKILLER (Hugh Glover): A wealthy, handsome, and charming bachelor.

• THE WRITER (Gregory Hemingway): A famous- but fragile- novelist.

• THE LOST TRAVELER (Mark DeMarco): The unsuspecting “Mark” marooned by the storm.

• THE INSPECTOR (Charles Enigma): A local lawman who happens to be on the scene.

Please direct any questions to director Emily Christensen at emily@mstcob.org. We look forward to seeing your submissions!