Suffolk County Community College kicks off its 2025 spring season on Saturday, Feb. 8, with Midnight at the Masquerade, an interactive whodunit that invites audience participation. One thing is certain: The killer will be caught with help from attendees and actors from The Murder Mystery Company.
“We actually are going to be giving out masquerade masks to the first 200 people that come, and we are encouraging people to dress like they’re going to a masquerade ball,” said Iris Mosher-Prosper, coordinator of Lively Arts at the college’s Michael J. Grant campus in Brentwood.
“The show starts at 7 but the interaction starts at 6:30, and the actors will be coming and walking around the lobby and talking to people. And then there’s going to be a murder,” but all part of the show, she told South Shore Press.
Formal attire, while not mandatory, will help set the stage for intrigue at the Billionaires’ Club Annual Masquerade Ball, a fictional event where crime is king.
Mosher-Prosper said she got the idea for booking this show after watching The Murder Mystery Company’s business model on ABC’s Shark Tank.
“It sounded really interesting, so I googled them and watched some of their things and it sounded like a lot of fun, and we decided to book them,” she said. The company, launched in Michigan, made a successful deal on Shark Tank and now offers its form of entertainment nationwide.
Midnight at the Masquerade and the rest of the spring theatrical lineup will take place at the Van Nostrand Theater in the Sagtikos Arts and Sciences Building, 1001 Crooked Hill Road.
According to Mosher-Prosper, the shows reflect great diversity, as evidenced by Tyohaar, a Hindu festival performance with drama, music, and dance on Saturday, March 1, at 7 p.m.
The lineup also features Breaksk8, a roller-skating dance crew that has appeared on shows like America’s Best Dance Crew, America’s Got Talent, and Disney’s Shake It Up, performing in Brentwood on Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m.
Since these shows are first designed to serve the college community, each Suffolk County Community College student (with valid ID) is eligible for two free tickets. The college also aims to keep events affordable for residents, Mosher-Prosper said, with a general ticket price of $15, discounted to $10 for veterans and students 16 years of age and younger.
Attendees are also asked to bring a non-perishable food donation for the SUNY Suffolk Food Pantry, if possible.
Of the Lively Arts series, Mosher-Prosper said, “This has been going on for over 20 years. What we do is try to find things that are a little bit different. They’re all outside performers. They’re professional performers from all over the country, and we’ve even had some performers from other countries.” She cited a circus, Lady Gaga tribute, and butterfly tent as past notable events.
The Van Nostrand Theater, which has been in operation for at least five decades, offers 450 seats and a grand balcony.