Tickets are still available for weekend dinner and a mystery

An evening of intrigue mixing dinner with entertainment is on the horizon for this weekend.

The Aiken Downtown Development Association's (ADDA) fourth annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater will be held on Friday and Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Newberry Hall. The dinner serves as the ADDA's largest fundraiser of the year.

This year the script has been written by Aiken residents Thurmond Whatley and Maureen Woltermann. They have penned a script for the fictitious Alvin Aiken Advertising Agency.

The show includes spoofed local advertisements that are sure to raise an eyebrow and evoke a laugh as it combines death, on-the-edge advertising, over-the-top phobias and cameo appearances by the Rev. David Cozad of First Presbyterian Church, Father Grant Wiseman of St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church, City Manager Roger LeDuc and Assistant City Manager Richard Pierce.

"This is a comedy wrapped into a murder mystery," Woltermann said. "In the past three murder mysteries, we had contests for the audience to guess who-done-it. This year, the audience will vote for the winning commercial, which will figure into the final scene of the story. But the audience members who like figuring out puzzles should enjoy this one because it is a big puzzle."

The script actually involves an Aiken advertising agency with each of the staff members frantically trying to win a $1 million prize in the Super Bowl of Advertising commercial campaign.

"This is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the ADDA," said Carla Cloud, executive director of the ADDA, "Ticket sales are slower this year but we would like to at least hit where we were last year even with the economy the way it is. ... Anybody who does anything downtown from going to the doctor, shopping, eating or attending the theater should know all of these things are a culmination of what the ADDA does to keep Aiken beautiful."

Tickets are $50 each and include dinner and a show. There will be a cash bar. In addition, there are a variety of audience participation opportunities including the chance to bid on a dinner party performed in a private home. Tickets are available at the ADDA office in The Alley, located at 208 The Alley, Suite D or by phone at 649-2221.

Want to Go?

What? Murder Mystery Dinner

Where? Newberry Hall, 117 Newberry St. S.W.

When? Aug. 14-15

How? 649-2221