When a crime takes place, the typical response is to call the police and let them do the dirty work.

Maricopa resident Cynthia Morgan wants to change that…at least as it relates to a fictional murder that takes place at The Duke. Morgan is the creator of the Maricopa Murder Theater, and she needs help from local residents to solve the latest mystery: “Much Ado About Murder… A Midsummer’s Nightmare.”

The victim in this production is Carlton I. Diedrich, who was murdered a year earlier in the den of his home on the golf course at The Duke. The murder occurs at Diedrich’s annual costume party, but before the festivities can begin, he is bludgeoned to death. Ah…the plot thickens.

The murderer is never found and the crime remains unsolved. Now, the ghost of poor Carlton Diedrich wanders the golf course, unable to rest until his murderer is found and brought to justice. As an act of revenge, Diedrich’s ghost now haunts the course, taking his spirited angst out on the golfers. Former scratch players are now bogeying holes and even worse! Many have come to realize the ghost is the cause of their golfing woes.

Here’s a rundown of the suspects in Diedrich’s murder:
 
Blanche Diedrich: Carlton’s wife. Blanche is a socialite who loves money. In fact, is there anything she loves more than money?

Jolene Diedrich: Carlton and Blanche’s sweet adopted daughter. She attends a prestigious woman’s college and is engaged to Steven (see below). What secret was she hiding from Daddy dearest?

Steven MacDonald: Handyman, driver and butler employed in the Diedrich household. He’s also Jolene’s fiancé. Was it old MacDonald’s farm he was selling?

Leslie Diedrich: Carlton’s nephew. He’s cool and calculating…maybe too cool. He has a twin brother. What did he know, and when and where did he know it? Is this a trick question?

Wesley Diedrich: Leslie’s identical twin brother. He’s neurotic, nervous, whiny, fidgety and paranoid; just the opposite of his twin brother. His motto: “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.” What does he have to be so paranoid about?

Kimberly Trent: Carlton’s secretary and bimbo. She is the quintessential mistress. As the months pass after Carlton’s death, what secrets was she growing inside, longing to get out?

Lillian DéMondé (her stage name): Born Lillian Diedrich, she is Carlton’s sister, or “Aunt Lil” to nephews Leslie and Wesley, and niece Jolene. She left home at a tender age for the bright lights of Broadway. She’s grandiose, showy…every bit the Grande Dame! Shouldn’t the role of her career contain the line: “What a tangled web we weave…?”

Henry Sharpe: Carlton’s lawyer. They were childhood friends. Their parents were close friends and fellow “patrons of the arts,” so they grew up together immersed in theatre. He’s a playboy, charmer, bon vivant, gambler and frequently at the casinos. He just returned from yet another gambling junket to Las Vegas. What was so urgent that Carlton summoned him to the house on that fateful day?

As the murder mystery unfolds at the costume ball, the audience is encouraged to ask questions of the suspects and any other characters who can be played by those in attendance. Each member of the audience uses the clues from these questions to determine the murderer, the weapon and the motive, with the correct guess receiving a prize. Other prizes are awarded for best male and female costume.

The cost of the theater is $50 per person (including tax and tip) and includes champagne, appetizers, dinner, dessert and dancing. The first showing is June 19 at The Silver Spur Restaurant at The Duke at Rancho El Dorado, 42660 W. Rancho El Dorado Parkway. Subsequent showings will be the last Saturday of every month until otherwise noted.

For reservations and more information, call Ms. Murder at 520-208-6963 or visit www.murderin.com.

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