September 21, 2022
A killer company
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St. Louis-based Jest Murder Mystery Co. hosts murder mystery dinner theater productions all across the country.
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St. Louis-based Jest Murder Mystery Co. celebrates national success after more than 20 years of ‘who-done-it’ fun By Wendy Todd Before everyone was trying to figure out how to exit an escape a room, friends and family came together to enjoy mystery and murder parties, a past-time still popular in St. Louis and across the country. Jest Murder Mystery Co., a St. Louis-based company, was started by actor, writer and director Randy Manning. He wrote and performed the first murder mystery at a family reunion and has been providing this unique, interactive experience as a business since 1999. And now, the local, family-owned company has expanded to provide the entertainment to customers all over the U.S. Though there are a number of companies that provide this service, Leslie Franklin,
who now operates the business after her father’s retirement, believes Jest Murder Mystery Co. has something unique to offer. “Yes, there are other murder mystery dinner theater companies and they have good shows,” Franklin said, “but what makes us stand out is we focus on the customer experience more than the actual mystery. Our shows include more audience interaction and our actors are trained to make the audience members the stars of the show. It’s all about bringing people together and making sure they have a great time. The mystery is there, but it’s definitely second fiddle to the audience members’ experience.” For those who have never participated in a murder mystery dinner party, Franklin emphasized that they are highly interactive.
“My dad calls it ‘Gorilla Theater,’” she said. “It’s not your typical show performed on a stage separated from the audience. This show happens among the audience and with the audience. It’s just a great time. You’ll laugh all night long and walk away with stories to talk about for years to come.” Having such success in St. Louis it only made sense for the company to branch out to reach national and international audiences, particularly with the addition of virtual murder mystery parties. “With troupes stationed all over the country, we can travel anywhere to perform shows. We also now offer virtual shows. These shows have been modeled after our in-person shows and contain the See ‘COMPANY’ page 2
Serving North & Northwest St. Louis County | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 101 No. 38 | 636-379-1775
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