St. Jude’s Family Ministry is planning its first mystery theater, a gangster-themed adventure that beckons attendees to dress like the Roaring 20s.
While the Mastic Beach church has traditional events it is known for, like a summer barbecue, this year “we needed to have an event that was kind of different,” said the pastor, Father John Ryan. “We thought this would be something where people would have fun.”
To start their first mystery theater off strong, St. Jude’s hired The Murder Mystery Co., which grew from a Grand Rapids living room in 2002 to over 7,500 shows annually and 20 troupes nationwide.
On Saturday, June 6, “Death of a Gangster: A 1920s Mafia Marriage Murder Mystery,” will bring theatrical intrigue to St. Jude Parish Center, 89 Overlook Drive. Show time runs from 7 p.m. to about 10:30 p.m. Though tickets are available at the door, those interested are asked to notify the church at 631-281-5743, said Ryan.
The $35 price includes light appetizers, beer, wine, soda and dessert, but according to Ryan, attendees can also bring their own snacks and beverages if desired.
Ryan described mystery theater as an “interactive experience” in which audience members are “not really watching the show; they become the show.”
According to the flier, opportunities exist to “interrogate suspects, uncover clues and solve the crime before the killer escapes.” And someone in the audience will be really surprised. As Ryan explained, “We all get clues, and you never know it could be you that did it.”
He views occasions like this as “something to build up the community” and break from social media to be “with human beings having fun.”
St. Jude Parish celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024 and conducts community outreach, such as food for the insecure.