Footlight Theatre Company Presents:
Footlight Murders
Footlight Theatre Company will begin its new monthly series in Columbia State Park just in time for Valentine’s Day! This February 15th “Footlight Murders” presents a miner’s tale of love… and of a solid gold, heart shaped nugget of death!!
Footlight Theatre Company will begin its new monthly series in Columbia State Park just in time for Valentine’s Day! This February 15th “Footlight Murders” presents a miner’s tale of love… and of a solid gold, heart shaped nugget of death!!
In 1864, a cobbler from Columbia named
Kicker Goodman saw business fall off as gold became harder to find. The poor
man was forced to go to work in the Cruel Springs Mine just to support his
young fiancé. When a heart shaped gold nugget was pulled from the main vein of
the mine, Mr. Goodman made a poor choice. In a crime of passion Kicker stole the nugget and
planned to run away with his true love to live happily ever after… Nobody
can truly say what happened at the Goodman cabin that fateful day when Sheriff
Ellerbe went to investigate, but when authorities went to the house later on
sheriff Ellerbe, Kicker Goodman and his sweetheart were all found dead and the
stolen nugget was nowhere to be found. Thought to be lost forever, the nugget
became legend, and the legend begot a curse – that anyone who should find it,
touch it or possess it – would die! Over the years the story was forgotten like
the gold rush and nobody ever gave it a thought… until three weeks ago!
The cursed nugget was re-discovered and it has been decided by the State of California that for the price of a dinner show ticket this valuable piece of solid gold is to be sold at a small private auction on the evening of February 15. There are a few parties however, who claim rights to the nugget, a few who protest the auction for their own reasons and a few who would just do anything to add the legendary gold to their collection. Are you brave enough to bid on and break “The Curse of the Nugget of Love?”
Motive, comedy, romance, murder and suspense abound in this thrilling dinner show experience! Don’t miss the first in Footlight Theatre’s new monthly series of murder mysteries in Columbia State Historic Park, where you attempt to solve the mystery and catch a killer among an evening of fine wine, music and dining!
At Footlight Murders, the action is constant and anyone can be a suspect! In this fully interactive dinner show guests can expect some scripted scenes, but never can tell when spontaneous, murderous drama might erupt throughout the night. One may not even know they are sitting next to an actor until they die… the actor of course.
A typical Footlight Murder will begin
with an “interrogation reception” hosted by a local featured winery, which will
serve as a chance for guests to meet some of the characters and learn the premise
of the evening’s story. After all have
arrived at the reception and have had a chance to mingle, guests will sit down
to a wonderful dinner served by Columbia House
Restaurant and Catering. From
there on out, one just can’t tell what might happen. The story will unfold
throughout town, and guests will have a chance to gather clues engage in
various contests and win prizes… and of course foul play will be afoot. Towards the end of the evening guests
themselves will become detectives (and a few might be suspects) and all will
try to solve the crime, with awards going to the best sleuth and more.
Each mystery will begin with the
“interrogation reception” at 5:30 pm.
Dinner will be served around 6pm and the evening will conclude around
9pm, with music and dancing until 10pm.
Every month will feature a new menu, a different local winery and live
music from some of the area’s finest musicians.
Footlight will also pair up with different merchants and venues every
month to keep the night’s events unpredictable for every show, guaranteeing a
new experience each time for even the most regular guests. February’s Mystery
will begin at Angelo’s Hall and conclude at the Jack Douglass Saloon.
“We believe Columbia State Park is the
perfect place for our new murder mystery series. The old Wild West environment of the town has
a mysterious aura of its own that can only add to the possibilities of what we
can do there,” said Artistic Director Anthony De Page. “On top of that, this is another great way to
highlight and bring tourism to the historically rich town of Columbia.”
“Our public events are perfect for
corporate events, entertaining out of town guests, anniversaries, birthdays and
other occasions. Not only will the theatre company produce its monthly series,
but Footlight Murders is also available for custom mysteries at your corporate
or private event.” says executive director Kendra Burlison. “Each Mystery is tailored specifically to
your occasion and many options are available.”
For more information or to book a mystery please call (209)588-6441.
Tickets for monthly mysteries are
available at www.footlighttheatre.org or by calling (209)728-8072.
Tickets are limited for each event and must be reserved 48 hours in
advance. For more information or to
order the vegetarian menu option please call (209) 728-8072.
What:
Footlight Murders monthly murder mystery dinner show
When:
Every Second Saturday of the month at 6 pm,
Where:
Columbia State Historic Park: Angelo’s Hall and other venues within the
park.
Tickets: $42 single, $80 couple
Season
Mystery passes are also available.
Passes are numbered, not name specific, which means if you cannot make a
mystery, you can pass the ticket onto a friend!
This is great for businesses and other organizations.
