Staging an Interactive Mystery Play

This hands-on guide takes you step-by-step through the process of developing, writing and producing an interactive murder mystery with middle or high school students. Starting with the benefits of students writing their own scripts, it proceeds to how playwriting can be a group process of collective creation and shows the teacher/director exactly how to get the creative juices going. It takes you through brainstorming, character creation, plot development, planting clues and writing dialogue. It then moves into the actual production itself, providing useful checklists for the director and stressing how to achieve maximum audience participation. Emphasis is also put on developing the improvisational skills needed to be a successful suspect! Also provided are lists of characters, locations, plots and yes, even forty ways to die. Synopses of five actual plays including cast lists, ideas and comments help you learn from others who have already gone through this. Like the authors' previous two best-selling improv books, this guide is chock-full of fun games and activities to help teach drama skills holistically. A chart in the back also helps align this Mystery Class with National Drama Standards.