Adaland Mansion Schedules Murder Mystery Dinner Theater for Aug. 1-2
Adaland Mansion in Philippi has scheduled a murder mystery dinner theater, "A Beauty of a Murder." Written, directed and presented by Karen Vuranch of Fayetteville, the dinner theater will be on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.
The buffet dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with guests seated inside in the air-conditioned house and under a tent on the patio area. The show will be presented after dinner on the patio and the porches at Adaland. In case of rain, the show will be moved to the tents that have sides.
Reservations are required and tickets include the show and dinner on both nights.
This is the fifth year for the dinner theater with local cast members along with Vuranch. The show always plays to a full house with limited tickets available. Those interested are asked to call 457-2415 as soon as possible for tickets. Many reservations have already been received.
This year's show, "A Beauty of a Murder," brings out the worst behavior of the beauty contestants as competition is fierce for the title of Miss Adaland. One of the local beauties might be willing to kill for the title and the fame and fortune that results after winning. Soon a murder takes place and the audience is asked to question the suspects and help determine the murder.
The pageant director is Madame JeiAnn Jenne, owner of the well-known Madame Jenne's Beauty School, Tanning Salon, Video Rental and Home for Unwed Mothers.
Freda Barks is a sports personality and football announcer for the local high school. The five contestants are: Miss Rutabaga (Lily Fields), Miss Parsnip (Rose Water), Miss Moonshine (Daisy Chain), Miss Ramp (Pansy Potts) and her sister, Miss Hog Calling (Petunia Potts).
With such distinguished contestants, the audience is sure to have a favorite already picked out before the show.
Karen Vuranch is a storyteller, actress and writer who is well known in West Virginia. She regularly presents shows at state parks and on dinner trains for tourists. She has produced a one-woman play, "Coal Camp Memories" and has done living history performances of Mother Jones, Pearl Buck, Mary Draper Ingles, Emma Edmonds and Clara Barton. She and her husband manage the Historic Fayette Theatre, a community theater in Fayetteville, and has received a number of art awards in West Virginia.
Vuranch's most outstanding attribute is that she is fun to work with and helps local actors produce a quality show while having fun, according to a spokesperson.
The dinner for the theater will be prepared by the regular cooks at the mansion house and served buffet style with a number of summer treats.
Included on the menu are appetizers, drinks and a choice of homemade desserts as well as two entries and a variety of side dishes. The dinner and show are included with the ticket.
Historic guided tours of the house will not be available for the evening. Overnight accommodations in Philippi include the Covered Bridge Bed and Breakfast on Walnut Street (457-2683) and Philippi Lodging (457-5888).
Adaland offers a variety of events open to the public on a regular basis in addition to the dinner theater. On Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, Adaland will be hosting Sybil Berndt, author of "The Saga of the Modisett Ranch," for a luncheon reading and discussion.
Berndt is being brought to West Virginia through a grant from the West Virginia Humanities Commission.
Other information about events may be found online at www.adaland.org along with driving directions and local tours. Adaland is open for historic tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Call 457-1587 or 457-2415 for more information.
