Halloween: Witches, Warlocks, and Pilgrims Murder Mystery Party &Pot Luck Dinner

1. The PLOTLINE:

The year is 1692 and Salem Town is in the midst of what would become the most famous witch hunt in American history.

Many residents of Salem sit together in the dirt of a dark, damp cell, accused of lewd and seductive attire, permissive attitudes, or blasphemously ungodly behaviors, awaiting their trial with nothing to do but contemplate their nonconformist moral codes and rebellious clothing choices that have all but sealed their fates.

Ann Putnam, a major accuser in the witch hunt, is shrilly berating the inmates, vehemently listing their many sinful behaviors (witchcraft charms and curses, unnatural healing through Satan-inspired "magical" brews and potions, public displays of fits (obviously caused by devil possession), smoking cigars, having godless "unmarried relationships" with either sex, the drinking of evil alcohol, birthing "illegitimate" children by Lucifer, and more...) when, suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light and a deafening BANG!

By the time the captives regained their sight and the smoke dissipated, Ann Putnam lay dead beside the now open cell door.

Under threat of everyone being found guilty and being hung at Gallows Hill that very night, those accused must find the person responsible for Ann Putnam’s death. Was it an act of witchcraft? Are there actual witches in the cell, and if so, who? And who killed Goodwife Putnam?
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2. PARTY OVERVIEW:

This is a GREAT opportunity to have FUN! Come dressed in costume & have a STRUCTURED EXCUSE TO TALK 1-on-1 WITH EVERY OTHER PERSON ATTENDING -a PERFECT way to make new friends & have a break from another hum-drum, boring weekend --> A Costumed Murder Mystery Party!

You can choose to be a “Suspect Character” (have “inside information” no one else has) or a “Sleuth” (not suspected of the murder, but investigating the Suspect Characters).

ALL the Investigators and Suspects will be wanting to talk with YOU for your help figuring out "Who committed the murder!?" because NO ONE (not even the murderer) knows who did the murder until the end of the Murder Mystery Party!

Food, drink, posturing characters with hidden agendas, flirtation, jealousy, suspicion, false and true accusations, backstories of assistance and betrayal, and then a Murder ---what could go wrong? Bwahahahahahahah!

Never been to a Costumed Murder Mystery Party? PERFECT!!! -You can have this fun, NEW experience you can share with friends and workmates about your exciting weekend!

WOMEN:
WE'LL NEED MOST OF THE ATTENDEES TO BE WOMEN (2/3 of the required roles are female).

3. ITINERARY:
A brief review the mechanics of our upcoming Murder Mystery Party:

At 4:30, everyone should show up as close as possible to the 4:30 start time and drop off their contribution to the Party's Pot Luck buffet table.

Soon after you arrive, unless you've already chosen one of the female or male “SUSPECT" roles that I'll mail out a week or so before the party, you'll have a choice of a specific Suspect character’s name, a very short description who your Suspect character is, and what your character knows about the murder. If all the Suspect roles have already been taken, then you can be just one of several generic murder "Investigators".
(Note: "SUSPECTS" also are "Investigators", trying to sleuth-out who committed the murder, because until the end of the party, NO ONE knows who was the actual murderer!)

From 4:30 – 5:00, you can mingle/get to know the other guests at the Murder Mystery Party while imbibing whatever BYOB you've brought.

Around 5:00, everyone will sit down together and enjoy the Pot Luck dinner, eating together whatever meal selections folks brought to share.

Promptly at 6:00, the Murder Mystery will start with an announcement that a body has been found at the party scene and that everyone should help the investigation by asking/talking to everyone else to uncover the clues and find out who among us is most likely to be guilty of the murder.
(Note 2: Everyone can continue snacking from the buffet table and enjoying their beverages throughout the Murder Mystery.)

Around 8:30 everyone will submit a secret ballot who they think is the murderer.

Finally, around 9:00, the announcement will be made which of us actually did commit the crime!
I've led several Costumed Murder Mystery Parties (see the pictures across the event sites), and EVERYONE has had a GREAT TIME!

4. INVITATION TO JOIN US!
-->Come join us, make a theme-fitting costume for yourself that's the most EYE-CATCHING, OUTRAGEOUS, FUN, or RISQUE as you're comfortable -You'll be one of the festive, talking and laughing, costumed tribe!
(Meetup requires attendees under 18 y.o. must have a guardian with them. Thanks for your understanding...)