April A to Z Blogging Challenge Day 13...Today's Blog Brought to You by the Letter "M"

Starting a drama team at church sounds easy enough.  Except I won't just be acting and directing, but also writing most of the scripts.  The month to month skits will be short and sweet, but the major project is coming this fall.  To benefit the missions team, we will be putting on a mystery dinner theater.  So exciting, but at the same time, I am so nervous because I have to write it.  I want it to be funny and interesting and intriguing and some days I wonder if I am up to the task!  I've never written one before.  First step is to figure out a theme and a setting.  I am contemplating movie-themed, a camping trip setting, a dog show, a restaurant setting, or a game show.  I want to keep it more modern day.  I had originally thought to do a Bible times theme, but my pastor's wife, a Pinterest addict, wants to decorate heavily and there's only so much you can do with an ancient civilization.  I don't want too fancy because I'd rather keep costuming simple, so more money can go where it needs instead of props and costumes.  I was thinking a murder mystery, but she was thinking more along the lines of something stolen or a deception.  I'm thinking if we do a robbery, we could engage the audience by slipping the pilfered item in someone's purse or jacket pocket and then searching the audience members.  Once the script is written, I am going to make it available for free here on the blog for the use of other churches or persons, as well as the shorter ones for the month to month punctuation of sermons.  I'd like to create teaser videos to play during Sunday services and post on the church's Facebook page and website in the weeks leading up to the performance.  I'd also like to take pictures of the actors in costume to make posters to put up around the church or perhaps on local businesses bulletin boards.  I'm thinking we can match the food menu to the theme of the play.  Any suggestions for a theme, setting, or plot for our mystery theater?  I welcome any ideas in the comments below!

~ Robin ~