Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 04/17/2025
(CLIFTON, NJ) -- The Theater League of Clifton will hold auditions for its next dinner/theater production, "Murder at the Banquet," on Friday, May 16 from 7:00pm-9:00pm; Sunday, May 18 from 5:00pm-7:00pm; and Monday, May 19, 2025 from 7:00pm-9:00pm at Mario's Restaurant (710 Van Houten Avenue) in Clifton, New Jersey.
Six performances will be held at Mario’s Restaurant on July 19, 20, 26, 27, August 2-3, 2025. Performances on Fridays and Saturdays start at 8:00pm, Sunday matinees begin at 4:00pm. The murder/mystery comedy will be directed by Maren Sugarman and produced by Mark Peterson, president of the Theater League. Robert LaVohn is the playwright. The show is produced with permission via Pioneer Drama Service.
Sugarman has served as the director of recent Theater League productions such as “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940;” “Murder on the Menu;” “Man of La Mancha;” and “Oliver.”
The following is a breakdown of cast parts. Most of the characters in the show are based on familiar “detective types” from books and films. Character types are included in breakdown for reference purposes. The plot involves the celebration of a hall of fame inductee at the fictitious “International Association of Mystery Solvers” (IAMS) organization when tragedy strikes.
CLAUDETTE PINDU (50 lines): 40-60; vice president, and future president, of IAMS who rewrote the organization’s bylaws to force Wimberly to step down; French mystery solver. Type: slightly like Hercule Poirot, though she is based on Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin (Murders in the Rue Morgue).
AGATHA PREAKNESS (23 lines): 80s (can be played by younger actor): British; a grand, old lady mystery solver who’s not as confused as people may think. Type: Miss Marple (or Jessica Fletcher).
JACK DIAMOND (34 lines): 70s (can be played by younger actor): Retired gumshoe; misses the old days of roughing up suspects and smoking indoors. Type: Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart).
WANDA WINTERS (26 lines): 40s-60s; Jack’s secretary; sultry and sexy enough to make you underestimate her. Type: she’s the Bacall to Jack’s Bogie.
FOSTER HOLMES (54 lines): 25-40 (cast to match Jenny); Great-great-grandnephew of Sherlock Holmes; his detective skills lie more in his familial reputation than in his deductive abilities. Though he is a “Holmes,” that does not reflect his character type.
JENNY WATSON (80 lines): 25-40 (cast to match Foster): Great-great grandniece of Dr. John H. Watson; crashes the IAMS event in pursuit of her campaign to prove Watson was the one who actually solved all of Sherlock Holmes’ cases. Though she is a “Watson,” that does not reflect her character type.
CHIEF HARLEY STANTON (41 lines): 50s; Small town chief of police honored to be hosting the IAMS banquet in his little burg. Type: combination of Jackie Gleason in “Smokey and the Bandit” and Rod Steiger in “In the Heat of the Night.”
*CAPT. NATHAN WIMBERLY (6 lines): 70s; Current president, International Association of Mystery Solvers; retired naval captain; upper-class gentleman. Type: Mycroft Holmes. (*Note: this part may be pre-cast).
Visit the Theater League’s website for more information. Founded in 2005, the Theater League of Clifton is a non-profit community organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the arts through theatrical performances, while providing quality entertainment for all ages. The Theater League of Clifton welcomes volunteers in all aspects of performance and production.
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