Sit in a circle. Place your hands on the table with your fingers relaxed. Sing a hymn to protect the table. And focus. From the silence, a bell rings. A sympathetic vibration. Wait…was that a rustle of a curtain? A trick of the light? Or something more? Spiritualism takes center stage in our 26th Master Mystery Production, the first show of our 5th anniversary season. We are reaching beyond the veil to bring to life a story of our own resident specter, a tale of heartache, mystery, and madness within the walls of a Victorian drawing room. But this seance may not be a mere parlor trick when our cast makes contact with the…

WOMAN IN THE WALLS

Do you believe in ghosts? In the winter of 1930, four friends—Lucy, Eliza, Grace, and Arthur—have rented a rambling Victorian mansion for the holidays. The house is in need of updates and repairs and the caretaker is a bit of an odd duck, but the price was too good to pass up. But perhaps they should have. For no sooner have they entered the dusty and shrouded drawing room do they hear the tragic story of invalid Claire Forsythe, the Woman in the Walls. Claire’s anguished spirit seems to haunt the empty halls of the old house, filling the barren passages and cobwebbed corners with the notes of half-remembered lullabies, so these intrepid friends, along with their host who claims psychic powers, try their hand at a little table-tipping spiritualism to speak with the dearly departed. The lights go out, a scream pierces the dark, and one of their own lies dead from shock. Or is it something more? As the snow threatens to seal them inside this haunted mansion, strange and dangerous secrets about Claire’s life emerge, and it may not be long before another of the marooned party is spirited away to the afterlife. But could something…or someone more lively be behind these creepy closed doors? Inspired by Gothic classics such as “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, step into our circle for a séance full of spirits, surprises, madness, and mystery. So do you believe in ghosts?

Kicking off our 5th anniversary season in style, Woman in the Walls will reunite Master Mystery Productions with the always exquisite Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, CA for their fourth collaboration after beautiful productions of Exit Prima Donna (Spring 2018), Eat Cake (Spring 2019), and Lenore Nevermore (October 2019). Our current production of Woman in the Walls will endeavor to add to the great collection of shows we have performed there. Shifting from the musical melodrama of Exit Prima Donna, the hilarious farce of Eat Cake, and the psychological thriller of Lenore Nevermore, Woman in the Walls is our first true ghost story, inspired by familiar and spooky tales from bygone eras. It will be a perfect addition to perform in this legendary and famously haunted venue.

Fresh voices in performance and design will join experienced Master Mystery Productions veterans to create a cozy (and just a little bit creepy) atmosphere for the show. Backed by multi-award-winning talent, the cast is one of our most dedicated and passionate yet, working on the production long before even the first rehearsals. Featuring elaborate set design and dressing, gorgeous and layered costuming, and haunting lullabies sung in the still air, Woman in the Walls is a beautiful, dramatic show full of latent power that is guaranteed to surprise audiences. Nothing is as it appears in this Master Mystery Production. By the end of the show, you just might be asking yourself if you believe in ghosts.

Woman in the Walls performs all Saturdays, March 21, March 28, April 4, and April 11th at 2 p.m. at Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction. Tickets are $30 general admission and $15 for kids 12 and under. Tickets will be sold through the Amargosa Hotel Front Desk, and it is highly recommended tickets be purchased in advance. Call the Front Desk at (760) 852-4441 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily or leave a message with your name and number to reserve your seats.

Patrons should reference “Woman in the Walls” and have their credit card ready; they can also process ticket purchases through receipt of a hard copy check. Tickets may be picked up at the Front Desk starting at noon on the day of the show. Tickets are non-refundable. Patrons may also email the Front Desk if there are difficulties reaching them and leave details such as name and phone number, and the front desk staff will call them back. That email is deathvalleyjunction.backstage@gmail.com.  For further questions, contact mastermysteryproductions@hotmail.com or message Master Mystery Productions on Facebook.

If you are traveling from the Ridgecrest area, it is a three hour drive to the venue, so please plan accordingly when making your trip to see the show.  There are stops in Panamint Springs and Stovepipe Wells for food, gas, and other facilities. Once the doors close for the show, they will not be opened until intermission.

Woman in the Walls is a spooky, spirited, and stunning production that means to leave a lasting impression on everyone who sees it. As lasting as a spirit in a haunted mansion. We invite everyone to join us for four amazing performances to help us celebrate our anniversary season. We can’t wait to see you there!

–Master Mystery Productions