The show must go on! A cliché that exists for a reason—and one that perfectly describes what happened on the opening night of The Murder at the Murder Mystery. On Friday, November 22, fiction collided with reality. At exactly 6:50 PM, we experienced our first blackout of the season. While power outages aren’t uncommon—especially after four days of non-stop rain— the irony was unmistakable: the play’s transitions between murders relied on blackouts. What the cast hadn’t anticipated, however, was performing the entire show without any lights at all.
At that point, there were only two options: the prudent one—cancel the performance until power was restored—or the fun one—embrace the situation and improvise. Every single person involved in the play chose the latter, and they did it impeccably. From improvised sound and light effects to ad-libbed lines and names, the entire play felt like a glimpse into the past. A reminiscence of a time before TV and smartphones, when the only form of entertainment was powered by the creativity of the community theater company—which, in this case, was precisely our reality.
While our local theater company insists that Saturday’s performance was better—because it went as planned—I choose to believe that Friday’s presentation will remain the most memorable. In case you missed it, here are the top five moments that truly made this performance a night to remember:
The Cast. Amidst the chaos, everyone stayed in character. Cheating by sneaking a glance at the script wasn’t as easy without proper lighting, but you’d never know if the show went off-script (including that perfectly timed script slap)—except for those in the know. Kudos to Carl, whose character always kept us on our toes.
Sound Effects. When life takes away your electricity, you improvise—especially when it comes to sound effects. The play wouldn’t have been the same without the perfectly timed “tan-tan-tan,” “boom,” and “ding-dong” that set the mood and carried the story forward.
The Murders. Unfortunately, you can’t create a blackout within a power outage, so the transitions between scenes and murders took on a hilariously old-fashioned twist: tossing bodies onto the stage.
The Audience. To this day, I’m not sure if the play was meant to be a comedy, but the audience had a good laugh. And judging by the enthusiastic applause, Friday’s show earned rave reviews.
The Intermission. Nothing beats a quick run to the St. Charles for a drink during intermission. Rain, shine, or power outage, it’s always open—proving once again that the show always must go on.
This community never ceases to amaze me with its passion, creativity, and sense of unity. Without our local cast, this play simply wouldn’t have been possible—and even under less-than-ideal circumstances, they delivered an absolutely incredible performance. But for now—locals, old-timers, newcomers, tourists, and visitors from other galaxies—let’s pretend thatthis power outage was a blessing in disguise. It gave us not only an evening for the books but also an opportunity to witness the talent of our local characters.