THEY love West Virginia
Murder Mystery Dinners for
Corporate Events, Banquets and Private Parties!
Huntington - Charleston - Parkersburg - Wheeling - Elkins
Morgantown - Clarksburg - Shenandoah Valley - Fairmont
Frequently Asked Questions
A
THEY improv West Virginia murder mystery dinner customized for your
group has proven to be perfect for team building
corporate events, weddings, family gatherings, banquets or
charity fundraisers! So
exactly what is a West Virginia murder mystery dinner and what does it entail?
To answer this, and more specific questions, we have assembled
a list of frequently asked questions here, along with appropriate
answers.
Q: Do you perform public shows?
A: Most of our shows are private parties and corporate events.
We do not have a regular venue where you can participate in
public shows. The rare opportunities we do have for public shows
are highly sought after and often sell out. If you would like
to hear about these rare opportunities when the occur, simply
sign up for our mailing list and mention a desire for our mystery
shows. If you are a restaurant or hotel owner that would like
to discuss having a quality show in your venue, contact us.
We are capable of generating a lot of interest in your venue
and are reasonably priced.
Q: You say that you customize shows, how customized are they?
A: Every script is unique and written for the show and group
involved. There may be certain elements that have been repeated
over the years, but we tailor directly to you. Additionally,
all of our performers have years of improvisational training
and public performances under their belt. This means that their
improv skills are fully taken advantage of and can react to
the situations around them. Literally, we could not perform
the same show twice even if we tried.
Q:
What makes a THEY improv Murder Mystery different from others?
A: THEY improv stands 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 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.
Q: Is your material appropriate for younger or sensitive
audience members?
A: Younger or more sensitive audience members should have no
problem enjoying a night of fun and clean comedy when THEY improv
takes 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.
Q:
I have a small group, can I have you perform for us?
A: 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. More information is on our Cambridge Murder Mystery Page. 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 a member of THEY improv helping you
run the event. More information is available on our Murder Mystery Game Show page.
Q: What is interactive as opposed to immersive?
A: Generally, when someone refers to a show being interactive,
it means that the performers will talk to the audience, either
to get input or a reaction. Because interactive is a term used
and understood in the industry, we tend to use the term incorrectly.
Our shows are more accurately referred to as immersive. An immersive
performance is where our actors fully participate in the audience
experience and can be mistaken as audience members. Some audience
members can also be confused with performers. This immersive
experience enhances the entire event and increases the involvement
of the audience members to the point of maintaining full attention.
Q: Are your murder mysteries like a play?
A: 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.
Q: Can my people play some of the parts?
A: 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.
Q: What is an ambush murder mystery?
A: 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 legitamacy of our characters, we then create situations that would rarely happen at parties. The 'trainwreck 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 eleborate 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.
Q: What kind of venues are you available to perform in?
A: 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.
Q:
You don't seem to be located near me, can you still perform
for us?
A: THEY improv is one of the fastest growing murder mystery companies
in the country. Right now we provide West Virginia murder mystery dinner shows in the Mountain State including Huntington, Charleston, Wheeling, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Parkersburg, Fairmont, the Shenandoah Valley as well as the
surrounding areas. We are elsewhere 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?
Q: What are your prices
for a show?
A: Because every corporate event and private party is custom designed you have to contact THEY improv 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.
Dinner shows can cost anywhere from $1,500-$5,000. Presentational
Shows can cost anywhere from $2,500-$7,500. 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.
Q: Are there gunshots at your shows?
A: 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.
THEY improv is proud to serve the entire state including Huntington, Charleston, Parkersburg, Wheeling, Elkins, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Shenandoah Valley and practically anywhere else you can think of. We bring the performance to you!
Contact us to find out about how you can hire THEY improv by emailing us at info@THEYimprov.com or by calling 866-219-4386.
