Volunteers at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association are at it again.
This time it's Murder at the Grill, a murder mystery dinner theatre the members are presenting Saturday, Jan. 26 at the centre at 5 p.m.
The Craft Group is organizing the event for the sheer entertainment factor to scare away the winter blahs with some murder mystery 50's fun. There's more being diced and sliced than just the vegetables at this dinner party.
"The Craft Group is organizing it and then we just pulled people from around the centre to help with the cooking and cleaning and acting," said organizer, Joan Frechette. "We just asked people who wanted to act and make a fool of themselves and have a few laughs to entertain and they were all happy to do it. It is a fundraiser but we don't ever expect big dollars - it's just for fun and whatever we raise will go to the centre."
The Craft Group knits and crochets items that are then sold at the centre, with all proceeds going to the centre's operating costs, so this type of fundraising effort will shake up the routine.
The play is set in the 1950s at a barbecue. Audience members get a first-hand look at all the antics as eight crafty characters tell the tale while other ECRA volunteers serve the four-course dinner, prepared by other volunteers, while still more people do the clean up.
"It's a sit-down dinner," said Frechette, who stressed this is a team effort. "And our youthful senior citizens will be acting in it. So first we'll do some introduction and then we'll have hors d'oeuvres then we'll do some acting and then there's the second course, more acting, then the main course and then the reveal of who the murderer is will be followed by dessert."
Frechette is no stranger to the murder mystery genre. When she was involved with the Elks and the Royal Purple, she helped organize several events similar to the one presented at the Elder Citizens Recreation Association.
Frechette said the play is a standard murder mystery game acted out by the shining stars at ECRA.
Doors open at 4:30 for the four-course sit-down dinner and play at 5 p.m. Cost is $12 for each ticket, in advance only, at the Centre, 1692 Tenth Avenue or call 250-561-9381.
