Drama troupe sets stage for murder
Murder and comedy go hand in hand for Stage III Community Theater in their season finale, Murder at Rutherford House.
Scheduled to be staged Thursday through Sunday at the Augusta Jewish Community Center at 898 Weinberger Way in Evans, Murder at Rutherford House is a production that gets the audience involved in the action.
"It's billed as an audience-participation murder-mystery/comedy," said Fred Elser, the director of the production and executive director of Stage III since its founding five years ago.
"It has everything for everybody. Basically what it is, the actors interact with the audience. Every audience member that comes has a character persona, plus a list of clues and a resolution form. As the dinner progresses, things happen. People get shot. All that kind of stuff. And at the end there is a chance for the audience to vote on who they feel were the culprits," said Elser.
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The action is set at the anniversary party of the death of a family patriarch who made his fortune in the tea business. His will stated that his heirs were to hold a party each year on the day of his demise until the fifth year, when his will would be read. At the party a murder is committed and guests start pointing fingers at each other. At the end, it will be left to the audience to try and figure out the whodunit.
Members of the Stage 3 production of Murder at Rutherford House Gary Cauthen (from left) Brad Andress, Ragi Barnett and Steven Corbett.
Special
Stage III presents Murder at Rutherford Place as a dinner theater. The featured entree will be chicken tetrazzini.
Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets cost $25 per person for the 7 p.m. shows and $15 per person for the matinee.
For reservations or more details, call the Augusta Jewish Community Center at 228-3636.