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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-10-05, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1988. PAGE 5. Murder most A cademic... ...at Blyth College Reunion In front of more than 100 people at Blyth Memorial Hall on Satur­ day, the mysterious murderer of Dr. Miller Bernard (played by Duncan MacGregor), Bruiser Mc­ Cutcheon (played by Jim Mul­ hern), and Chelsey Wilder (played by Blyth Festival artistic director Katherine Kaszas) confessed to a multitude of crimes. Billed as a fund-raiser for the Blyth Festival capital building expansion project, more than $2,000 was raised through the hilarious murder mystery dinner co-ordinated by Marian Doucette, president of the Finding each other across a crowded room, Mary Gregg [the murderess] and Duncan MacGregor are re-united after everyone at the Blyth Festival ’ s murder mystery thought the good doctor was dead [again]. John Rutledge gives Dr. Miller Bernard [Duncan MacGregor] a jump start to revive him from the dead, while Jim Mulhern, Alice Munro and Mary Gregg wait with bated breath. Undercover cop Jamie Cagney [Ann Elliott] hurries Bev Elliott out of the room where Bruiser McCutcheon [Jim Mulhern] was murdered. The mystery deepens - was Bev a part of the whole terrible plot? Festival’s board of directors. “Murder Most Academic” was written by Colleen Curran and BY JANE GARDNER WITH PHOTOS BY TOBY RAINEY featured an outstanding cast of celebrities, including writer Alice Munro; London Free Press theatre critic Doug Bale; Duncan MacGre­ gor, artistic director of Carousel Players of St. Catherines; Jim Mulhern, whose company, Lyons and Mulhern Insurance Brokers, was the evening’s corporate spon­ sor; and Ms. Kaszas. Other featured performers were John Rutledge, Mary Gregg, Steve Hearn and Ann Elliott, all local talent. As members of the audience entered Memorial Hall, each was given a tag bearing their name for the evening - names that only playwright Curran could have thought up, such as Clinton Vanastra, JasperTodd, Tyrone Flower-child Chelsey Wilder was played to perfection by the Blyth Festival’s artistic director Kather­ ine Kaszas, a left-over from the ‘60’s. Hwang and dozens more. Favour­ ite moments of the evening included the last minute autopsy in the kitchen, complete with buzz- saws and sledge hammers; bring­ ing Dr. Miller Bernard back to life using jumper cables; and the impressive interrogation by Detec­ tive Jamie Cagney who interview­ ed members of the audience as to their opinion of the identity of the murderer. Central Huron Secon­ Jim Mulhern and Alice Munro were featured in Colleen Curran’s Murder Most Academic--a class reunion for graduates of Blyth College. dary School’s Stephen Oliver directedthe hilarious farce, while a horde of hard-working volunteers prepared and served the memor­ able meal. If there is any perfect description of this fun-filled event it would have to be “participatory theatre for all.” Everyone present at the Festival’s first-ever murder mys­ tery dinner is hoping that it will become an annual event.