A priceless treasure. A contested will. And Marie Antoinette donning a ski mask under her wig and checking her makeup before looting a safe. Either the infamous Madame Deficit has hit some really hard times, or it’s time for a brand new show from Master Mystery Productions! And not just any show. We’re throwing a party where all our guests get to wear a costume of their favorite characters. But a handful of those sneaky characters might have different plans for this party. After all, it’s the perfect occasion to show up as somebody else…and get away with shenanigans under a new identity. Don’t pack those Halloween costumes away too soon. Because, for our twenty-eighth Master Mystery Production, it’s time for you to come-as-you’re-NOT to our costume party and try to figure out just…

WHO’S WHO?

Wealthy and eccentric Great-great Aunt Gladys Honeypot has finally moved on to a better place…to Las Vegas where she can live it up in her golden years! Aunt Honeypot was famous for her unusual tricks, pranks, and behavior. Like the legend of her giving a priceless treasure to her favorite bookstore as “a token of her boundless appreciation” …which then turns several not-so-honest eyes on the bookstore as a target. When the store hosts a special “Who’s Who Come-as-You’re-Not Costume Party,” a ragtag collection of people decide it’s the perfect occasion to come as they’re not to liberate the store of this priceless treasure. But in a world where nothing is as it seems and no one is who they say they are, finding the treasure will be one wild, madcap adventure. Alliances will be made and broken, and someone might just double-cross the double-crossers. Who are these people? Where is the treasure hidden? And just what is the treasure? These are the mysteries you get to solve as you tangle with screwball secrets, slapstick suspects, and hilarious hijinks, because in this costume party caper, everyone has something to hide.

Who’s Who? is our fourth collaboration with the wonderful Red Rock Books, our favorite independent bookstore, after performing among its shelves in Anonymous (2017), Famous Last Words (2018), and Foul Play (2019). We’re creating a come-as-you’re-NOT costume party for our guests where they can dress up in costumes and watch a mystery play where bumbling thieves try to cash in on a treasure hunt…only for everything to spiral out of control. After over a year-and-a-half with our shows going digital, we knew we wanted to celebrate our return to live theatre with a longtime partner we love to work with. And celebrate we will as we decorate the bookstore in lots of sparkle and shades of pearl and gold. We’re going for high camp, high glamour, and high-spirited hijinks with this cartoonish caper. We wanted this new show to be light-hearted, silly, fun, and frivolous family entertainment after the past year, and Who’s Who? is all about laughter with some of wackiest characters we have ever devised. What Who’s Who? really is is a party!

The cast of Who’s Who? blends veteran MMP performers with newcomers in a hilarious and harmonious mix. Really, the main focus designing this show was to have as much fun as possible. To think big and wild and crazy. To find joy. To experiment with new ideas. Our characters are larger-than-life, totally bonkers, and endlessly scheming to get their hands on a treasure, even though they have no clue what it could be. Picture the madcap mischief of The Great Muppet Caper, Rat Race, The Westing Game, and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and you are in the right vibe for Who’s Who? Big energy, big costumes, big personalities, and big surprises! Rehearsals have had us rolling in laughter night after night. And laughter is precisely what we want to give everyone with this brand new show.

Who’s Who?, a come-as-you’re-not costume party caper written and directed by Daniel Stallings, performs November 5, November 6, November 12, and November 13, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.). Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for military and seniors 65+ (with ID), and $10 for kids ten and under. Costumes and masks are encouraged.

Come party with us as we don our costumes and search for hidden treasure. But be careful who you trust because you just can’t be sure…

WHO’S WHO?

We’ll see you at the show!

–Master Mystery Productions