GALA to present murder mystery farce

It is with great pride and anticipation that Gulf Alliance for Local Arts (GALA) announces GALA Community Theater’s first production of the 2010 theater season, the local premiere of “The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society Murder Mystery.”

The show, first of four productions scheduled for 2010, will be offered in dinner theater performances at the St. Joseph’s Bay Country Club on March 26, 27 and 28.

The show is a farce written by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr., and directed by Dan Wheeler. Every drama group has experienced the horrors of what can go wrong on opening night and the ladies of the F.A.H.E.T.G. Dramatic Society are no different, with the possible exception that almost everything that could happen does. The scenery collapses, cues are missed, lines forgotten, and the sound effects take on a strange note at times, as the ladies present their ambitious evening's entertainment with the cunning whodunit, “Murder at Checkmate Manor.” And just in case the audience should get bored there's a film and fashion show and murder mystery quiz complete with prize.

“This should be a very interesting endeavor,” said Blake Denton, the alliance’s community theater chairman. “It is a play within a play and a drama that becomes a comedy. It is a unique concept that should provide for a thoroughly enjoyable theater experience. Couple that with the overwhelming feedback we had from “Halfway Inn” dinner theater performances last winter, we are very excited about this project.”

Tickets are $35 each and include an Original Butler’s Cuisine dinner with choice of 12 oz. Ronnie Ribeye; 8 oz. Ronnie Ribeye & six sautéed shrimp; or baked crab-stuffed grouper. Each meal includes Butler’s wild rice or baked potato, whole green beans, garden salad, yeast rolls, iced tea, coffee and apple pie or hot brownie ala mode. Performance-only tickets are also available for $15.

There will be three shows, Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27 starting at 6 p.m. and Sunday brunch starting at 12:30 p.m.

“We have barely even started promoting the shows, and the performances are starting to fill up,” said Denton. “So if you want to attend one of the performances, the sooner you make reservations, the better.”

The local premiere of this outrageous comedy is proudly presented by GALA Community Theater and Gulf Alliance for Local Arts. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.GulfAlliance.org or call 850-229-2748. Seating is limited and on a first-come first-served basis.