MU provided students with an opportunity to enter the world of whodunit motives and absurdly dressed guests with a 1950s-inspired murder mystery event.
The Student Union Programming Board hosted the event Thursday in Stotler Lounge.
The lounge was decorated in the style of a ’50s restaurant with balloons, a paper jukebox and food staples of the 1950s, such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. The guests were serenaded by music from the era, giving off an authentic vibe that had participants dancing while solving the crime.
Admission was $5, and the event’s proceeds went to the Central Missouri Food Bank. Although most of the guests were not dressed in 1950s attire, some of the participants dressed up and portrayed roles in the mystery, like characters Maynard G. Wayout, Buddy Folly and Pinkie LaRue.
Kaitria Sievers, director of big events for SUPB, said though learning the routine was difficult, it paid off as far as entertainment value and crowd participation was concerned.
“One of the biggest issues was learning the game ourselves, but once we got the sequences down and knew how the game went, we then progressed to advertising efforts,” she said. “The key to making a good murder mystery is fun, which is what the actors did with engaging the crowd and making the whole event feel like it took place in the ’50s.”
The murderer ended up being Wayout, portrayed by David Aslin. Aslin said he felt the event went well despite a few reservations regarding his performance.
“I didn’t have much time for preparation so I went for a cross between Shaggy and a surfer with a little of a flirt added in,” he said. “This was a great opportunity because of the amount of people coming out for the event, so I just went for it and had fun with my character.”
Each actor had a piece of paper with his or her lines, which ranged from funny to serious and included a good deal of improvisation, especially from Aslin. The actors seemed well-invested in their roles and played their parts to perfection, making it difficult for the participants to figure out who the killer was.
Co-coordinator Jacelyn Miller said the event was tough to plan but paid off in the end because of the impression left on the participants.
“It ended up becoming chaotic to plan, but this event was good because it brought people out and helped motivate them to become involved again,” she said. “The turnout was intimate, which can be better because it can make the characters more believable, which can lead into a better event that can give our organization more exposure.”