Father Brown in Wauwatosa!

Father Brown in Wauwatosa!

 

Morning Star Productions is back with its fourth interactive Father Brown mystery!  This one is called “The Resurrection of Father Brown,” and fans of the original story by G.K. Chesterton will recognize some elements of the plot, though much has been changed for this production.  

 

Like the earlier productions, each performance is fifty minutes long, with shows running on the weekends of March 3-5 and 10-12, with four performances on Friday (5, 6, 7, 8 PM), seven on Saturday (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 PM (the 5 o’clock hour is off)), and four on Sundays (1, 2, 3, 4 PM).  Tickets are $15, with discounts for children (aside from brief references to various crimes and drug addiction, it’s pretty family-friendly) and group rates.  Parking is limited, so it’s best to time one’s arrival to as close to ten minutes before your show as possible.

 

As the story opens, a very wealthy man has just died, and his potential heirs have gathered for the reading of the will. There are nine actors in the cast.  Father Brown, is of course, the most familiar face.  The other eight characters are the dead man’s two sons (one a hard-edged businessman, the other a bohemian with artistic leanings), his sister who battles addiction, a young petty criminal, a physician with an interest in medicinal plants, the deceased man’s attorney, his shopkeeper girlfriend, and the local chief of police.  They mirror the classic nursey rhyme “Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief.  Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.”  There is no connection to the classic Ellery Queen novel Double, Double other than the presence of the rhyme, though there are little references to the Sherlock Holmes story “The Five Orange Pips.”

 

The setting is perfect for a mystery. The mansion is beautiful and filled with unique artwork and furniture.  The first half-hour of the play takes place in the parlor, as the audience watches the characters discuss the will.  The action ends with an apparent death, though the identity of the victim and that person’s ultimate fate are hinted in the play’s title. Attendees get fifteen minutes to interview the suspects, in the lounge, hall, parlor, and library.  Then, try to deduce the villain’s identity before the truth is revealed.  If you’re right, you could win free tickets to a future production!

 

This is a highly entertaining show, perfect for mystery fans and for those who enjoy interactive theater.  If you’re in the Milwaukee area and you’re a fan of Father Brown, I definitely recommend it.

 

Chris Chan’s novel Ghosting My Friend will be released by Level Best Books on March 28th. His first novel, Sherlock’s Secretary, was released by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2.  His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books.  His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there).  It is also available in a Kindle edition.