MURDER MYSTERY FAQs

We stand out in the murder mystery business in a lot of ways. The most obvious is that the cast of THEY improv is comprised of some of the top improvisational comedy talent. This means that the show not only has a great interactive experience for the audience, but that the entire cast adjusts to the changing needs and comedic energy of the group involved. Secondly, THEY improv never forgets that the emphasis is on family-friendly entertainment, not on mystery. The show is designed to entertain the audience more than perplex them. To that effect, we push the murder back in the plot allowing for a larger amount of audience interaction and fun prior to the murder and a shorter interrogation time. In some shows the detective is the star. In ours, the comedy is. Thirdly, some murder mystery companies try to beat the audience and not even give out the prizes. THEY improv guarantees that someone will have been correct in their solution of the murder mystery for our full shows. There are a lot of ways we're different. The best way for you to find out how is to contact us for a show and see for yourself.

Younger or more sensitive audience members should have no problem enjoying a night of fun and clean comedy when we take the stage. We are predisposed to performing clean comedy shows. If, however, we are requested to become more lively in our performance, we may do so. After all, our murder mysteries are custom-tailored for the audience involved.

Smaller groups can get cost-prohibitive for murder mysteries, but THEY improv may still be able to help. Although our more standard murder mysteries have custom-tailored scripts and 4-8 actors, we do have other options to bring the cost down. This can be even more important for non-profit organizations looking to have a fundraiser. There are two additional approaches we can take. First, is our Cambridge Solution. This is called the Cambridge Solution because we considered it to be Harvard smart when we developed it. It uses 6-10 of your group as characters in the murder. Our second option is what we refer to as Murder Mystery Mayhem or a Clue Party. THEY improv has made an arrangement with a murder mystery company to provide self-run mysteries for those on a budget. For a cost of just a little over $20 per person and possibly a nominal fee for an actor, you can have a murder mystery provided with your guests playing the characters involved and one of our Directors helping you run the event.

Even though we call them dinners, the reality is that a lot of our events take place during the day. Lunch is quite common and it operates basically the same, though often there is no cocktail hour. It can be a great idea to entertain your employees without keeping them after hours. Likewise, an ambush at lunch works well with our people to look like a regular team building group or lecturer. Contact us to find ideas that might work for your group based on your timing.

Based on the desires of the client, we may have gunshots (blanks, of course), stabbings, etc. All such things are usually done to comedic effect and may require authorization of the venue and appropriate security staffs. Likewise, the Client must indemnify us and indicate to potential guests with any conditions the inherent issues or concerns.

We have a broad cast and can bring people of different faiths and of varying levels of faith. It depends on your group and your needs. We bring the best people for YOUR show. You let us know your needs and we serve them.

While we prefer the immersive experience, we can perform "Presentational Murder Mysteries." This is performed on a stage or raised area with sound system like a play and with limited audience interaction. This is usually done for much larger groups and is more heavily scripted. This tends to have a higher cost because of the writing involved.

We have a variety of offerings. Some of our offerings are designed as a mix and mingle party that allows your participants to interview each other to try to determine the culprit. Another offering allows some of your people to play the roles being interrogated by our detective and the audience to determine the culprit. But for our signature immersive murder mystery dinners, you want to limit the exposure of your people as performers. Quite frankly, they're simply not professional, and our people are. But we will customize any event to you and follow your lead as to who you want to participate. So the short answer? Yes, but it isn't our recommendation.

We are one of the few companies in the country that specializes in the ambush murder mystery. This is a scenario where the audience is unaware that a murder mystery is occurring. We create a situation where our players would reasonably be expected to be in the location. After establishing the legitimacy of our characters, we then create situations that would rarely happen at parties. The 'train wreck moments' are designed to get the audience talking about what's going on around them and attempt to intercede on behalf of our characters. Think of it as an elaborate prank being played on your audience. When the death finally occurs, the audience then realizes that they've been had and are led through the process of determining the culprit. One of the major advantages of this form of show is that the audiences expectations are constantly changed.

THEY improv is capable of performing anywhere. After all, we are improvisational. We are used to making do and reacting to what is at hand. Generally we perform in banquet spaces, dining rooms, hotels, restaurants, conference centers and theaters. The question usually comes down to an ability to be seen and heard by the audience. The real answer is that you should contact us if you have a venue that you have a question about and we are certain that we can find a way to make it work.

We are one of the fastest growing murder mystery companies in the country and has performed in all 50 states. Right now we provide murder mystery shows in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Weston, Davie, Hialeah, West Palm Beach, the Florida Keys, Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Texas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, New England and Upstate New York as well as the surrounding areas. We are also everywhere else in the country with new locations being added and coming soon, so you should simply ask and we might already be there. Additionally, we can serve other areas with a slight charge for travel that may have us still your least expensive option. And if we are not the least expensive? Isn't having the best worth it?

Because every faith-based improv event and private party is custom designed you have to contact us directly to receive a quote for your banquet. Prices range based on the costs for a show. The more actors, the more props, the larger the event, the more the writing, the higher the cost. The self-run events can run anywhere from $500-$1,500 based on number of people. These parties with a facilitator start at $800 and go up to $2,000. Dinner shows at your venue can cost anywhere from $1,500-$5,000. Presentational Shows can cost anywhere from $2,500-$7,500. Our Gala Events can be anywhere from $8,000 and up with us offering a huge number of options such as ambulances and other props. Shows in more isolated areas or in busy times such as the holidays may be for slightly more. These are just rough ranges and can vary greatly based on clients needs. The prices are also independent of venue, food and technical equipment such as lights and sound. Contact us for a detailed quote.