I just got home from a show I call Madcapped Mysteries. I advertise Madcapped Mysteries as “the most original murder mystery experience EVER!” I don’t exaggerate.
In the course of 75 hours, a group 80 created the most original murder mystery plot of all time.
How did we get to this ridiculous place?
I use the concepts of a improv game known as Call Ems, basically human MadLibs. I start the show with a 2-3 sentence script requiring audience to fill in the blanks. The following sentences are YES AND… moves.
With the help of 5-10 guest contributions over the course of about 3 minutes, we have established a base reality for a murder mystery. We have a named victim. We have a location and a something of a weapon. We usually have a couple details about the victim: what’s their job, how they are known in the community, etc.
I set each amateur improv actor, guests at a show, up for success. I keep the energy high and fast. Their answers are reactive and often ridiculous, hence the murder weapon tonight being a goat. Once it was a whale catapulted from Turkey, the Mediterranean country, with such precision, it hit its victim on Long Island.
This all stems from the concepts in Improv, that all perceived “mistakes” are gifts. Like happy accidents in a Bob Ross painting.
Next, I spend about 20-30 turning guests into characters.
WHAT’S YOUR NAME? DONNA? DONNA HERE IS THE CORONER IN TOWN. WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER WHEN YOU INSPECTED THE BODY?
Apparently the Goat was INSIDE the body of Roland, our victim. Funny, while a few chuckles occurred, in general this never became a beastiality thing. PHEW!
Out of 80 guests about 20 became named characters – spouse, mistress, each with a child potentially from Roland, a Goat Farmer assumed to be mafia, by this pin stipend suit (everyone dress for 1920s tonight), bartender, IBM CEO, shoeshine boy, etc etc etc.
THEN, every table of 6-8 guests became a team of detectives. They spent 20 minutes brainstorming what really happened. Out of 10+ tables, we got 10+ completely different stories. I had 3-4 faves, but any could have been a winner.
The takeaway?
The first bit is a writing prompt. The next 30 minutes is an exercise in divergent thinking. Then developing a final solution, an exercise in convergent thinking. The entire show an exercise in maximizing a think tank.
We break the mold and then pull the pieces together. We surpass all expectations. We destroy any predictable outcomes with awesomeness.
We say life is far stranger, funnier or sometimes scarier, than any movie, book or play.
So many murder shows are all about finding the right answer. BORING! Too often, so many are focused on perfection, but settling on mediocrity. This isntrue in the arts, business and personal lives.
But when a group of divergent minds let each other be divergent, when we let our own minds diverge from expected out comes and predictable pathways, we accidently stumble into greatness.
If we were producing a movie, tonight final reveals would not by themselves be ready for production. But what we came up with in 75 minutes could be the start of an amazingly original show.
So many great TV shows and movies are written with similar creative exercises. This is why so many writers rooms are populated by improv players. Many commercials are written thru improv work.
I promote Madcapped Mysteries as one of a few team building activities I offer. I still say nothing beats an improv workshop for basic team building and leadership training.
But I imagine Madcapped Mysteries could be a powerful edition to a team or leadership training plan. We don’t tell folks this amazingly fun activity has educational value.
But after we wrap with, NOW, next time we come together to brainstorm new ideas, remember this space, mentally and physically. Approach our work with this fun. Approach every challenge with this fervor.
Bring the fun to your team!
We offer Madcapped Mysteries regularly at corporate events, fundraisers, friend and family events (Birthdays parties) and even teen events. Check out our upcoming public schedule or contact us below to set up a FREE consultation call.
- 2/21 SOLD OUT CONNECTICUT Madcapped Mysteries Tarrywile Mansion, Danbury, CT
- 3/1 MANHATTAN 2pm Madcapped Mysteries, Broadway Comedy Club, Times Square NYC
- 3/7 WESTCHESTER 1pm Madcapped Mysteries Mamaroneck Library
- 3/22 LONG ISLAND 2pm Madcapped Mysteries, South Shore Craft Brewery, Oceanside NY
