Help! I think My Characters Are Trying to Kill Me--A Hilariously Bring the House Down, Feel-good Time

I have walked past its door quite a few times on my treks through the French Quarter just a few steps from Market Street. On those occasions, I would unmistakably hear the waves of laughter emanating out its entrance as the sound spilled onto the sidewalk of Church Street. As I curiously looked in, I saw a very intimate space with a mock stage, bar seating, booths along the walls, cocktail tables spread throughout, whodunit games hanging near the entrance, and pictures of well-known theatrical sleuths lining the walls. I finally decided it was time for me--and this is a fitting word to use in this situation--to investigate.

The name of this small Mom and Pop establishment is the Black Fedora Comedy Mystery Theatre. The owners are Darryl and Sherry Wade, entrepreneurs from Atlanta who spent two decades producing live entertainment for corporate audiences. After working more than a decade in the Lowcountry with other talented and funny people, many of whom have performed in the area's community theaters, they established the Black Fedora Theatre with a mission to share the theatrical spirit of humor, playfulness, and joy with their paying patrons. Help! I Think My Characters Are Trying To Kill Me was the name of the show we attended at 8 pm, which opened for the first time that evening. The first showing was at 5 pm.

We were greeted at the door and escorted to our table by one of the evening's performers who explained in detail what we were about to experience, shown a game card where we would compete with the other guests in identifying the sleuths hanging on the walls, and given an explanation as to what was available in the way of food and drinks--appetizers, homemade desserts, beer, wine, teas, and sodas. Another one of the performers handed out printed sheets containing dialogue to eager volunteers in the audience.

The premise: A playwright(Chad Estel) with severe writer's block must finish a murder mystery script with the audience already seated before him, else face the wrath of the Director. As he writes, his characters, Igor(John Brian), Della Demarco(Maddie Casto), the Zombies, and the Evil Queen(Suzanne Robinson Muoio), come to life to solve the crime, but the playwright soon begins to suspect that his own creations are out to kill him...as they begin to fear it is he who is out for them.

Then, the show began, and the laughs were non-stop. Most of the time, audience volunteers were on queue, but some were not, but that aspect of informality only added to the hilarity as the actors prompted for a response. All the performers knew their lines well and skillfully engaged the audience volunteers. The character I volunteered to read was the Mad Doc, and I got coaxed into being one of the Zombies. I had a blast interacting with Igor, the character who we thought stole the show, but I am not saying the other performers did not because they were all superb in their own way.

The shows are approximately two hours long, with no foul language or anything crude. The ticket is $27.00 and is well worth the price. There are other shows offered throughout the week, but Help! I think My Characters Are Trying to Kill Me is one show you do not want to miss. It was a hilariously bring the house down, feel-good time.

164 Church Street, Charleston, SC, 843-937-6453

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