Murder and masquerade
TMS hosts an evening of intrigue at P.J. Ahern Home
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Getting dolled up soon for the masquerade ball at the P.J. Ahern Home includes a bit more intrigue than the usual evening soiree.
Whoever attends is getting dolled up for a dose of death.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Texarkana Museums System presents a masquerade and murder. Starting at 6 p.m., it’s a murder mystery dinner with one killer, one unfortunate person killed and many suspects as partiers all perform their respective parts.
Each attendee will be given a role in advance. Each guest should also don a mask for the occasion and, if they wish, wear a full costume befitting a masquerade ball.
“When you register, you’ll be assigned a character, and you won’t know until the evening that you arrive for the party whether or not you’re a victim, murderer, if you survive the night — what have you. You’ll already know who your character is so you can pre-prepare,” said Jamie Simmons, TMS curator.
While a full costume is optional, albeit encouraged, a mask is essential. After all, the theme is a masquerade ball. The ball is a week before Halloween. Food will be catered by Benchmark American Brasserie.
“Everyone who participates in these
parties, they have something they’re supposed to do that helps with the mystery. Either they’re passing along a clue or they’re misdirecting people or they have a mission to complete, and it all adds to the mystery and it all provides clues,” Simmons said.
If someone’s role is that of the murdered, don’t fear because fun will still be had. “You can still participate, but you’re a ghost at that point,” Simmons said. “We’ve had people who’ve really hammed it up and been a really great ghost and kind of disrupted things on purpose. That makes it a lot of fun.”
As she put it, even the guest whose character has “gone on to their reward” can enjoy the masquerade ball. “They’re still very much part of the game,” Simmons said.
Prizes will be given for best mask, best detective, best actor and best histrionics. People are welcome to create their own mask. The TMS is putting up a Pinterest board with ideas.
An underlying purpose informs this gathering, too.
“The person who has organized the masquerade ball has gathered all the people who hate them into one place,” Simmons said. They also hate each other, leading them to wonder why they’ve been gathered together. The person who’s arranged this — the mayor of a scandal-plagued town called Bloodworth Falls — expects something bad to happen.
One character hosts the proceedings, too, and he’s once again played by Devin Manis. “As the facilitator, he’s the one who’s introducing people to each other, making sure that they’re going around and stabbing each other in the back properly, keeping the action going,” Simmons said.
Murder mysteries have done well at the TMS. This event serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit organization.
(Tickets: $75 for couples, $40 for individuals; $70 for couples, $35 for individuals with TMS membership. Tickets must be purchased in advance by Tuesday. Get tickets at TexarkanaMuseums. org/events. More info: 903-793-4831 or TexarkanaMuseums.org. Tickets can also be bought at the Museum of Regional History. The P.J. Ahern Home is located at 403 Laurel St.)