• the217
• Life
• Food, fun and first-degree murder

It may seem like a typical high school cafeteria. There's the jock, the slacker, the lunch lady and the hall monitor. And then there's the murder. The Krannert Center Student Association presents its third annual murder mystery dinner, "Murder at Casualty CafÇ," Thursday, Dec. 1 through Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Krannert Center's Studio Theatre. The show is entirely student-produced, acted and directed and was written by a recent college graduate specifically for this production.

"It's got more of a personal edge to it," said co-director, Leslie Cornell. "It's a little more humorous and easygoing than most murder mysteries."

The first act takes place during lunch hour, where one character stirs up enough contempt from the students and school staff alike to make everyone a suspect in his death. Twenty-three-year-old Keith Gatchel wrote the first draft of the play in three days.

"The writing process was pretty much just to start out with a good concept and see how we could get it to fit the theme," Gatchel said. "The play isn't just a parade of stereotypes or cookie-cutter personalities."

"The initial path was a high school murder mystery, but (we said) let's make it something that everyone can relate to," Gatchel said. "It's pure escapism ... The only message is, don't kill (anyone)."

Having input into the script made the directing experience a challenge for Cornell. Because the show was specifically written for the Krannert Center Student Association, the writer and directors worked together to shape the characters.

"I've learned a new way to approach directing," Cornell said. "This was different because there wasn't a script when we started. It was different than directing a normal play or drama. The cast contributed - it was a group effort."

Co-producer Amanda Jablonsky said she especially enjoyed watching the show evolve from nothing.

"I liked watching the directors go through auditions, watching the show develop even before we had a script," Jablonsky explained. "It was like we took it from before conception, before we even had a fetus."

Gatchel said the murder mystery is the most difficult genre he's ever had to write for.

"In a normal story, you set up the environment, the characters and how they interact," he said. "In a murder mystery you have to do all that but also have to hold back information, so the audience doesn't find out the ending. And every scene they see, they're going to be scrutinizing who the killer might be. So you have to bury it."

What sets murder mystery dinners apart from a typical night at the theatre is food and audience interrogation. Krannert Center Student Association President and the show's executive producer, Adam Schwartz, promises the show will have both.

"During the show someone potentially could die," said the cryptic Schwartz. "And if that person should potentially die, the audience will have a chance to ask the suspects questions."

The second act is primarily improvised, with the audience driving the show by grilling each character. Patrons should ask challenging questions because the cast will be prepared for them.

"You can ask anything you want to try to get out a motive, descriptions and alibis," Schwartz said. "Then the audience will vote to see who should be arrested. They get a chance to solve the mystery on their own."

Cast member Deanna Bauer, said the fact that anything can happen during the second act is the best part of the show.

"I didn't do a lot of improv before this show," she said.

"The improv is going to make the show for me. I'm not going to know what to expect."

Dinner will be served prior to the performance with a full Italian meal served buffet style and then a dessert of ice cream will be served during the intermission between acts.

It may be a cafeteria theme, but the food won't be cafeteria-quality, Schwartz said. "It's linguini in a pasta bar with four types of sauces, an ice cream dessert, salads - the works."

The Krannert Center Student Association's Murder Mystery Dinner Production was first conceived in the spring of 2003. The group's members at the time never thought it would become an annual show.

"As we were working through this silly, stupid idea, we didn't think it would make it past the planning stages," Schartz remembers.

The performance has grown from a single-night show into a four-day run. In its inaugural year, the show sold out in just three days after tickets went on sale.

Not only is this show entirely student-run, but it's mainly staffed by volunteers from non-theatre majors. "These kids are biology majors, engineering students, undecided majors - kids that haven't decided to dedicate their lives to theatre," Jablonsky said. "Experience ranges from their first show to their 15th show."

"This is a student group they can get involved in, whether it be acting, directing or producing," she said. "Whereas, if you see a professional production you can't get involved."

"It's encouraged for University students to contact Krannert Center Student Association or ask questions if they're interested in working on next year's Murder Mystery Dinner, or next semester's one-act play festival," Jablonsky said.

More importantly, one should come just to enjoy "Murder at Casualty Cafe," because you never know what could happen, said Schwartz.

"Who knows, someone may die along the way," said Schwartz. "You have to come and find out."

Tickets are available each night of the show on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are $18 for students, children and seniors and $25 for the general public. All shows begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Krannert Center Studio Theatre.