March 28, 2024

River City Players cook up a murder mystery with ‘Offed at the Bakeoff’

From left, Dan Dunham, Sean Michael Myers, and Kait Ramirez during rehearsal of “Offed at the Bakeoff.” Submitted photo.

POMEROY — ​The River City Players (RCP) are cooking up another great performance with “Offed at the Bakeoff” as they take the audience back the time of poodle skirts and Leave it to Beaver.

River City Players will present “Offed at the Bakeoff” at 7 p.m., on Friday, February 17, and Saturday, February 18 at Wolfe Mountain Entertainment (WME) in Pomeroy.

Under the direction of Dan Dunham and Nathan Jeffers, “Offed at the Bakeoff” tells the story of the 33rd annual Knotting Bake-Off, brought to you by J & J Toothpaste. Many contestants have gathered at the Knotting Inn down at the Jersey Shore, each hoping their perfectly crafted baked good will win the coveted blue ribbon. But it seems someone’s dessert is more deadly than tasty, though, when they discover an entire gaggle of bratty students have been poisoned during a press conference. It is clear that someone at the inn has a sweet tooth for murder. Everyone at the inn is considered a suspect, including the egotistical bake-off champion, the hard-of-hearing elderly man, the practical jokester nun, the silent fitness model, the clumsy reporter, and the amnesiac woman. When a detective arrives on the scene, he asks the audience to help him figure out whodunit. Flying accusations and flying pies are just a few of the fun ingredients that make this murder mystery a recipe for a hilarious night at the theatre.

“We’ve been laughing so much during rehearsals, our audience will definitely enjoy this show,” Dunham and Jeffers said. “It’s a very funny script with some slapstick comedy and an entire ensemble of hilarious characters all set against a backdrop of the 1950s.”

Tickets for Friday’s show will be $10 and include only the performance. Saturday’s ticket price will be $25 and includes a three-course dinner and the performance. Tickets are available in advance at the Fabric Shop in Pomeroy. Advanced seating is recommended, as there are a limited number of available seats.

Featured in the cast and crew include Nathan Becker, Diana Bissell, Janis Carnahan, Rusty Carnahan, Tony Carnahan, Traci Rowe Chapman, Dan Dunham, Jessica Holliday, Nathan Jeffers, Sam McCall, Celia McCoy, Sara Michael, Sean Michael Myers, Kait Ramirez, Shyra Summers, Bailey Swatzel, Tara Swatzel, Gary Walker, and Rich Wamsley.

For more information on RCP, follow River City Players on Facebook. For more on WME, visit www.wolfemountain.com.

From left, Celia McCoy, Traci Rowe Chapman, and Tara Swatzel prepare for the upcoming RCP performance. Submitted photo.