Vinalhaven High School’s drama department brought fundraising to new heights in early April with a dinner theater offering of Southern Fried Murder. The basement of the town’s Union Church was converted into the dining room of the Towering Oaks, the “finest inn in New Orleans.” The cast of eight young island women sported genteel and charming southern drawls while serving a four-course meal featuring – what else? – fried chicken. Best of all was the requirement of audience participation and the warning to “watch your back” – as two unsuspecting victims would be murdered before getting a chance at the well-laden dessert table.
As the evening got underway the audience was introduced to the “dysfunctional” Capote family, headed up by matriarch Magnolia Capote, or “Granny Mag,” played by the director Karen Burns. Burns is an Island Institute performing arts fellow and the school’s drama instructor. Burns also took on the role of Granny Mag’s only surviving child, a son named Louisiana Capote, or “Uncle Lou,” a writer and his mother’s “pet.” Her five granddaughters; Magnolia Woods, played by Cassie Bernard; Magnolia “Maggie” St. Lawrence, played by Shannon Michael; Magnolia “Nolie” Frost, played by Becky Guptill; and the twins; Magnolia “Stump” Slatterly, played by Danielle Bickford and Willow “Will” Slatterly, played by Kim Smith, all had designs on Grandma’s reputed fortunes. Other characters included Granny Mag’s lawyer, Ben Parker, played by Heather Smith, the local sheriff, A.J. Watkins, played by Emma Rosen, and the hotel’s bookkeeper, a mystery guest drawn from the audience.
Granny Mag had called her family, her attorney, and the sheriff together at the Towering Oaks to announce that whoever found her will, hidden somewhere on the premises, may claim their share, and more, that very night. First, however, they must find the hidden clues and prove that they were capable of an honest day’s work, demonstrated by their service to the patrons. The audience was encouraged to join in the contest to find the will. The bedlam that followed – diners and actresses searching for clues under their dinner plates and chairs, and groups working together to unravel the six rhyming riddles – made for numerous comical interactions. The clever ad libs and taunting banter between characters, all with affected mint-julep voices, added to the amusement.
Southern Fried Murder, by playwright Billy St. John, was the third dinner theater offering by the high school. The two previous plays, a French detective parody titled “Oh Crepe!” and an Italian satire titled “Holy Canoli!” were student written, designed and performed. Each of the three productions featured dinner courses served between acts, with the actors and actresses staying true to character while serving. It is a formula that the community has grown to love and support generously.
Proceeds from the two previous plays benefited this year’s senior class trip. With the added support of an anonymous matching donor, “Southern Fried Murder” netted over $4,000, the money going to an ambitious community venture: a 1,950 square foot expansion to the island’s historic Carnegie Library. The design for the addition includes a Teen Room and an enlarged young adult reading section.
Each of the actresses said that they liked the play from its first reading and that it was easy to choose a character they felt an affinity with. Kim Smith, who portrayed the alligator-wrestling twin, said that the most challenging part was staying in character while waiting on friends and family. Emma Rosen, in the part of Sheriff A.J. Watkins (“Why in tarnation would you commit a crime on my time?”), added that it was satisfying to have contributed to such a worthwhile fundraiser. According to Rosen, “It will be a good thing to have a teen room at the library, a comfortable spot with computers and more resources.”