Velma Sloane, swimming in sequins and jewels, leans toward you, her voice dropping confidentially, eyes darting over her shoulder. Do you dare follow her gaze? Her words are edged with anxiety: “I swear I’ve seen his face before. It’s an unusual face. The unusual ones tend to stick better. Out of the sea of gin-softened faces around you. I got used to the faces. I’m around a lot them. But his…I swear he’s following me…”

At any speakeasy, you are bound to be plunged into an ocean of personalities. Faces blurred by drinks, no doubt. But through the haze of human beings, a few may stand out. Is it a shifty eye? A frown instead of a smile? A nervous tic in their jaw? On a mysterious evening in the Red Fez, several personalities will swim out of the sea and take the spotlight as suspects. Who are they? We’ll let the amazing cast of Murder at the Red Fez spill the Long Island iced tea on their characters in this behind-the-scenes blog post.

THE SEA OF GIN-SOFTENED FACES AROUND YOU: The Making of Murder at the Red Fez (Part 2)

Diamond LaPore is the lounge singer at the Red Fez who says it’s the best gig this side of Chicago. Very quiet about her past and her prior relationships before becoming a singer, she is nonetheless sharp with her mind, her eyes, and her words. After a devastating heartbreak when she was younger, Diamond now famously paints a single, sparkling diamond tear in makeup down one cheek.

Elise Bechtel first graced stages in the valley in the role of Cobweb in 2024’s summer production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Community Light Opera and Theatre Association (CLOTA). Her hard work and dedication on the show won her the coveted CLOTA Robe for the production. As a vocalist, she performed in the 2024 Desert Community Orchestra’s Christmas in Ridgecrest concert as a member of the choir. Murder at the Red Fez is her MMP debut, and she will play role of Diamond for Cast A. Here are Elise’s thoughts on the singer:

“Diamond LaPore is a young woman trying to find her way in a world that hasn’t been the kindest to her. Her past has shaped her into a fierce, intelligent woman who keeps everyone at arm’s length in fear of being hurt again. But she is also determined, unwilling to let anything or anyone get in the way of what she wants. Diamond is incredibly observant, learning as much as she can about everyone in the club and using that knowledge to her advantage. As this is only my second play, portraying Diamond was a challenge for me. She experiences so many emotions throughout the play and portraying them is a rollercoaster. I relate a lot to Diamond in certain ways. She’s sarcastic and fiery, much to the frustration or amusement of others. She’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. I gave her some (i.e. a lot) of my sarcasm and sassiness as well as some of my grief. I loved getting to know this character, and I think she’ll be one of my favorites for a while yet.”

Cat Kreidt has most recently dazzled audiences as Titania in 2024’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but her storied acting career includes four Diamond Mask Awards for Excellence in Performance for “Massimo” D’Amato in Bury Me in Paris, Madam in What Happens at Sundown, Dahlia Rosewood in Foul Play, and Genevieve Welbourne in Tete-a-Tete. She also took home the Skeleton Key Award for Service Above and Beyond for Tete-a-Tete. She performs as Diamond LaPore for Cast B. Cat shared her feelings about Diamond below:

“Diamond, like most creatives, is a sensitive soul. She’s had to develop a tough exterior to protect herself from the ‘unpleasantness’ of the world. She created the persona of the flippant, devil-may-care Diamond LaPore as an escape. As any actor will tell you, it can be incredibly cathartic to take on a completely different person with thoughts and feelings and struggles other than your own. This is something Diamond discovered, and something she took advantage of. Every so often, when she is singing on stage, you can see bits of her true self slip through the façade of her carefully constructed smile. In the next breath, it’s gone, leaving you wondering if it was just a trick of the light playing on her single sparkling tear. Like Diamond reminds us with each performance, reality is not on the guest list.”

Velma Sloane is the infamous Sloane heiress who can’t resist being a bright, young thing despite her millionaire father’s strangely worded last will and testament hanging over her head. She is perhaps the richest one in the club tonight and is used to the finest things in life and paying her way out of any inconvenience. Her special talents are balancing several men in rotation, mixing cocktails, and avoiding the limelight.

Elaine Stewart has been busy both onstage and backstage in local theatre. For the Sherman E. Burroughs Drama Department, she has been Juror #7 in Twelve Angry Jurors, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and on makeup crew for All My Sons. She was the 2022 winner of the John Philip Sousa Award from BHS, recognizing superior musicianship and outstanding dedication. At CLOTA, she performed as Mrs. White in Clue the Musical and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Murder at the Red Fez is her MMP debut, and she will perform as Velma Sloane in Cast A. Here are Elaine’s musings on her character:

“Velma Sloane is a multifaceted character. She is strong and able to stand up for herself, all the while withholding a part of herself out of the fear of her father’s wrath. She longs for her family’s money, but she is still holding to her ways. When I began to do a deep dive and try to develop the character of Velma, I tapped into the inner workings of my heart, understanding her fear of the part of herself that she hides from her father. I have tapped into my own life experience; the anger, the heartache, and the anxiety to bring my version of Velma Sloane to life.”

Our longest-serving performer at MMP, Devanne Fredette’s career as an MMP Hall of Fame Artist includes two Skeleton Key Awards for The Silent City and Regions Beyond, two Diamond Masks for Mutiny on the Sea Witch and How to Solve a Murder, two Special Commendations for How to Solve a Murder and Shelf Life, and the 2018 Founder’s Award from MMP. She also performed as Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Honey in ‘Tis the Season to Believe at CLOTA in 2024. She will direct Malice in Wonderland, which she co-wrote, this summer. Devanne will play Velma for Cast B, and she gives her thoughts about the heiress below:

“I was given a challenge with Velma Sloane. She’s a bit of a paradox of a person. With both a subtle and over-the-top nature, her character is anything but small. I’m a bit of visualizer when it comes to characterization and storytelling. So having been given direction that she starts icy and then escalates into a volcano, I took this literally. Ice is sharp, cold, and hard, and she escalates into a volcano–explosive, firey, force of nature. However if that was all, the energy and characterization would not fit within the darker themes of Murder At The Red Fez. So to balance that out I pulled on my near decade experience of working with MMP and from my own background. I’ve played many a quiet character and many an energetic character but to pull in those energies and to have it balanced is my ultimate challenge with character, and I hope it comes through as I perform with the cast.”

Millie Carraway is the daughter and heiress of a celebrated (and very wealthy) art critic gambling away her father’s money and her allowance at the roulette and blackjack tables. You don’t want to get on the wrong side of her sly tongue. She can spot a forged painting, a bad check, and a watered-down drink with equal skill.

Libby Mitchell is an MMP veteran who has built a long range of credits in local theatre. Her most recent performance was in ‘Tis the Season to Believe at CLOTA this past December, but previous roles include Ariel in Closer to Heaven, Witness the Seventh in Unlucky Seven, Denise Pryce in Tete-a-Tete, a Shopkeeper in The Gift of the Magi, an Automaton in The Sky’s the Limit, Bentley in How to Solve a Murder, and Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She has received two Special Commendations for Closer to Heaven and Tete-a-Tete and won the Skeleton Key Award for her work on Tourist Trap. She is the 2024 winner of the Carol Venturi Award from CLOTA. She is Millie for Cast A. Libby gives us her insights on bringing feisty Millie to life:

“When I first got the role of Millie, I described her to my friend as having fun, being kinda sarcastic, and enjoying her booze. While all of that is true, I feel it misses something about her sort of apathy for her life and, to a certain extent, the world around her. She is too busy having fun partying, and she has money, and it solves her problems, and it will keep her alive and influential so she can flirt another day. In my mind, she is quite confident; everything goes her way. She is not that proper of a woman; she drinks, smokes, lounges around, and talks about people behind their backs. She has been the cat’s meow to play, and I really enjoyed working with this cast so much.”

Olivia Holm is an MMP Hall of Fame Artist and multiple award-winning performer and makeup artist. She has won the Diamond Mask six times for Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind, Woman in the Walls, Who’s Who?, Closer to Heaven, Tete-a-Tete, and The Sky’s the Limit. Her talents were recognized with the Skeleton Key Award for What Happens at Sundown and two Special Commendations for Lenore Nevermore and Tete-a-Tete. In 2024, she directed the sold-out summer hit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at CLOTA. She’ll be directing Romeo and Juliet for them this fall. She will perform as part of Cast B. Olivia’s thoughts of Millie’s character are below:

“Millie Carraway is the girl that every bride wants at their Bachelorette party. She is the definition of a wild party girl with nothing to lose. Millie spent her life learning from her art critic father on how to survive which gave her the experience necessary to live. After all that hard work, she can finally cut loose, allowing her to be the wild child at the Red Fez. Drinking, gambling, and overall having the time of her life. Millie is absolutely a joy to play. Due to her blasé nature regarding the chaos surrounding the Red Fez, there is so much to play with acting-wise. When it comes to a character like Millie who has many subtleties and layers, I will put together a little playlist. Specifically, I have been listening to ‘Dirty Town’ by Mother Mother, ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga, and ‘Roaring 20’s’ by Panic at the Disco. Millie is a wonderful challenge and an incredible character who I cannot wait to introduce the audience to!”

Patrick O’Rourke is the manager of the Red Fez and the younger brother of the notorious Mickey the Muckler. When he’s not struggling to keep a lid on all the underground criminal enterprises in the speakeasy, he’s fending off advances from Millie Carraway and trying to placate a fickle and feisty chanteuse. With his brother unmarried and childless, Patrick’s got his gimlet eyes on the prize: the family business.

Calvin is a familiar face to local theatre. He last appeared on the CLOTA stage in the roles of Theseus and Oberon in 2024’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He is the recipient of a record eight Diamond Mask Awards for his acting from Master Mystery Productions (Eat Cake, Foul Play, Woman in the Walls, Mum’s the Word, Who’s Who?, Closer to Heaven, Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind 2022 Revival, Tete-a-Tete), the Skeleton Key Award for Ex Luna, the 2020 Carol Venturi Volunteer of the Year Award from CLOTA, the 2021 Founder’s Award from MMP, and the CLOTA Robe. As the most decorated actor at Master Mystery Productions with eleven awards to his name, he was inducted into the MMP Hall of Fame in 2021. Calvin will play Patrick for both Cast A and B. He shares his feelings on Patrick’s character:

“If there was a phrase that best described Patrick, it would be ‘in way over his head.‘ As manager of the Red Fez, it’s his job to oversee some of the finer and more delicate points of running a club, a job that he’s woefully unprepared for. As a gangster, he’s more the shoot-and-ask-questions-later type, so having to do the opposite presents as a challenge for him. As with all of my characters, I try and find something that makes them unique in how I portray them, and with Patrick, it’s in how he moves. With all the added pressure of managing a club weighing him down, I wanted to be able to show that physically by having him move slower and heavier, as though something’s pressing down on him from above. Hopefully, the audience can sympathize with the strain he’s under while also acknowledging that he’s still not someone to mess with.”

Elizabeth Buchanan is a feisty flapper with diamonds in her ever-watchful eyes who may have secret connection with the Red Fez that she’d rather keep buried. When she’s not laughing too hard at jokes that aren’t that funny, she’s often found hiding in more shadowy corners of the club, waiting for someone to be alone.

Leslie Blake is a 2022 inductee into the Master Mystery Productions Hall of Fame. Recognized for her work onstage and off, she has received the Skeleton Key Award for Anonymous in 2017, the Diamond Mask Award for Excellence in Performance for the role of Kim Hyatt in What Happens at Sundown, and the Golden Diamond Mask (the 50th Diamond Mask ever presented) for the role of Witness the Fourth in Unlucky Seven. Her most recent role onstage was as Quince in CLOTA’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Leslie is also the writer/director/producer of the fantasy audio drama series, The Center Chronicles. She performs as Elizabeth in Cast A, and here we present her views on this most mysterious character:

“Socially awkward, and yet smart as a tack, Elizabeth Buchanan is an absolute delight to play. She tries hard to fit in with her cohorts and she’s able to pull it off somewhat. Luckily, surrounded by fellow flappers clouded with champagne haze and their own business, she’s able to get by. She notices everything and brings a unique energy all her own to the Red Fez.”

Beth Sparks-Jacques is our most recent inductee into the MMP Hall of Fame in 2024. Most recently, she was seen as Hippolyta in CLOTA’s summer production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She won the Skeleton Key Award for Exit Prima Donna, the Diamond Mask Award for her performance as Georgia Georgson in Who’s Who?, the 2020 Founder’s Award, the 2020 Firecracker Award from CLOTA, and the 2021 Florence Green Production Award for her achievements in costuming. Beth will play Elizabeth for Cast B. Here we present her thoughts on the character:

“Elizabeth is a quirky character. She seems flighty and only out for a good time. That is her way of masking how strongly she feels emotions. Underneath that is a person who cares about her family and friends. She is observant of the people around her and tries to be helpful in what ways she can. Her huge heart and strong sense of justice make her someone you would want to be friends with. She would always be up for a girl’s night out and then make sure you got home safely.”

John/Joan Cavendish is the bartender at the Red Fez. Something about them seems off in the convivial atmosphere in the club. Could it be the eyes that never stop moving? Or the out-of-place pencil tucked behind their ears? What did they see? What do they know? For Cast A, we have a Joan Cavendish. Cast B has a John Cavendish.

Allison Mitchell first joined MMP in 2021 to play Ms. Meddler in Who’s Who? and has since undertaken various acting and backstage opportunities. She has performed as Witness the Seventh in Unlucky Seven, Denise Pryce in Tete-a-Tete, an Automaton in The Sky’s the Limit, Allie Morgenstern in Tourist Trap, Sorenson in How to Solve a Murder, and Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She most recently appeared in ‘Tis the Season to Believe at CLOTA. She received a Special Commendation from Master Mystery Productions for Tete-a-Tete. Below, she shares her thoughts on Joan’s character:

“Bartenders such as Joan are a rather common sight in speakeasies, practically part of the atmosphere. Perhaps being in the background blending with the shadows is exactly where she wants to be. Noticing things about others while they don’t even notice she’s there, copying something in her notebook. Maybe she’s here to do more than refill martinis and follow Patrick’s orders. Maybe she’s just at The Red Fez to stir up martinis without stirring up any trouble.”

Anton made his theatrical and Master Mystery Productions debut in the role of Mortimer in Janis Kunz’s debut play, How to Solve a Murder in November 2023. This is his second ever play, and we welcome him back to performing with MMP in Murder at the Red Fez.

“John has a pessimistic type mindset. He wants everyone to give him the credit he thinks he deserves, but no one takes him seriously. He is someone who likes to compete. John doesn’t like to be ordered around; he wishes he was the one in charge. He hates his job as a bartender because he only gets ordered around.”

Briona Stewart has primarily worked both onstage and backstage for the Burroughs High School Drama Department in roles such as Juror #5 in Twelve Angry Jurors, Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest, Sue Bayliss in All My Sons, and Templeton in Charlotte’s Web. Outside of BHS, she performed as Ensemble and the Understudy Detective in Clue the Musical for CLOTA. This is her first performance for Master Mystery Productions. She will perform in a surprise role in Cast A. Here are her thoughts on Elizabeth:

“Elizabeth Buchanan is a two-faced character that has a hard time keeping her secrets under wraps. She can be awkward at times, but she knows what she needs to do to get things done. When I first started trying to tap into Liz’s awkwardness, I thought of some of the times when I felt nervous or anxious. Liz is probably nervous because she knows, if she lets up too much, Patrick or one of the others could easily kill her or her family. She is scared, but wants to do her best to serve justice. I brought my iteration of her to life by looking at myself and seeing how those fears and bravery could be expressed through my body language and facial expressions and how I could become her while onstage.”

Murolo Patchin has quickly risen in dramatic prowess and confidence. He first joined theatre in CLOTA’s Fall 2022 production of Witness for the Prosecution as Thomas Clegg. Subsequently, he has performed in shows such as All My Sons, Cinderella, The Outsiders, Charlotte’s Web, Annie, The Sky’s the Limit, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and ‘Tis the Season to Believe. He has won two Diamond Mask Awards for Casey Morgenstern in Tourist Trap and Brewster in How to Solve a Murder. He will perform a surprise role for Cast B, but below, he offered his thoughts on the character of John Cavendish:

“John has a pessimistic mindset. He generally dislikes doing his job; he is not thrilled to be there. He’d rather be relaxing on his couch or hanging out with his friends. He gets agitated easily. He is sarcastic and witty. He really dislikes being roped into things and sudden, loud noises. He is extremely competitive—especially when it comes to his job. He has confidence in his abilities and likes to boast about them. While he is mostly grumpy, he does enjoy to lounge around, be lazy, and spend leisure time with his friends. Around strangers, he tends to be awkward and avoid them. He doesn’t take accountability for his actions and instead passes the blame off to someone/something else. He is spontaneous; he improvises and makes abrupt choices, whether he is getting himself out of trouble or during every day life.”

This cast is a gem, but every jewel needs its setting. We’ll explore how to turn a store into a speakeasy, complete with secret passwords and shocking surprises for our upcoming behind-the-scenes blog post, What’s the Password?: The Making of Murder at the Red Fez (Part 3).

Be sure to snatch your tickets soon.

–Master Mystery Productions