Audience plays detective role in M-A's dinner theater mystery Audience plays detective role in M-A's dinner theater mystery (January 17, 2001)

Have you ever been to a wedding that goes dreadfully, horribly wrong? That's the fate in the Menlo-Atherton International Thespian Society's upcoming production of "The Wedding from Hell," where everything that could possibly go wrong does.

From the delivery of funeral flower arrangements to the arrival of the inebriated judge, the mishaps are both horrendous and hilarious, says Robin Metcalfe, the Menlo-Atherton drama teacher. The final blow is finding an innocent man murdered in cold blood. And it's up to the audience to discover who dunnit.

Theater-goers become the wedding guests as they interact with the characters in the murder mystery during the evening of dinner theater.

"The performance can greatly vary from night to night," says Mr. Metcalfe, because of the different reactions between the audience and cast. Senior Cordelia Reynolds is directing the murder mystery.

Performances are on Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27, and the following week on Thursday through Saturday, February 1-3. Doors to the J Building at M-A open at 7 p.m.

Francesca Fiorentini plays Tina Fitzhugh, the self-righteous bride, and David Menninger takes the part of Bruce Montgomery, the spoiled groom, in the student production of Eileen Moushey's play. Taking the parents' roles are Lisa Filman, mother of the groom, and Glenn Gray, father of the bride.

The cast also includes Yonatan Rosen as the inebriated judge; Sandor Fejevary as the photographer; Kyla Gibboney, a family guest of the groom; Natalie Gregory, the maid; Kate McCandless, the hostess. Ian Teter plays the private investigator, sleuthing the murder.

"The Wedding from Hell" is the second of four shows that the Menlo-Atherton after-school drama program plans to produce this school year. The remaining productions are a serio-comedy in Menlo Park's Burgess Theatre and Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," performed outdoors.

Tickets to "The Wedding from Hell," including dinner and dessert, are available at Menlo-Atherton or by calling 473-6573. It's suggested that tickets be purchased before the performance because dinner mysteries have a history of selling out quickly. Wedding attire is encouraged, but not required.