"The Theatre, The Theatre, What Happened to "the Theatre?" Cafe Murder ~ Part 2

I am finally back with Part Two of,
Cafe Murder. . . dun, dun dun...

The Dinner and the Theatre!!!

This is our high school cafeteria and it was full on the night of the show!

We were happy about that! 

Friends enjoying their meal! at a RED table!

16 tables, and we added one more for a family that we just could not say no to! 

(The office staff accidentally oversold the tickets by one table, but we had just enough food!)

The boy's Table! A checked table!

When I saw this table, I got just a bit nervous......one, two, three, four, five boys....no adults...

glass cider bottles...glass vase...only six can fit at a table... I wouldn't want to sit with them either...

I guess we will see how it goes! They were great and very well behaved!

The Junior High School Principal's family and friends

These people come to every function and have a blast! We have known them for YEARS!

At Our Table

My Mominlaw and my dear friend, Marcella.

These gals are so supportive of me in most everything I do and they help me too!
Hubby was off pouring Sheffield Cider for the audience and visiting.

Daughter*2 and her Hubby

She wasn't happy about the picture....is it obvious? LOL

They also are my partners in crime, grime, strawberries, paint, dirt,

you name it, they are helping me!

Maitr d' (Daughter*4) is asking the cafe guests about pre-meal drinks

The play begins in a French Cafe called Cafe Murder.....

(I should have had a birdcage with a black crow or two around somewhere, because a flock of crows is called a "Murder"and that was the emblem of the cafe...which no ONE told me until it was too late!

I should have read the play BEFORE I decorated! Can't depend on a teenager to give enough info!!!

Talk about MURDER!!!! ohhh... wait....Please excuse the RANT!)

Maitr d' introduces the chef to the cafe patrons

"Rosemary" and her four sisters,  Marjorie, Melanie, Valerie and Volleny, have come to 

Cafe Murder to celebrate Rosemary's birthday, but Rosemary is the

ONLY one who really wants to be there....she demanded they come!

The Maitr d' and the chef, as well as the sisters, just wish they would hurry, and
 Rosemary would be GONE! 

She is a pill of a customer, she says she is allergic to water...but the French Chef, Franc,

 misunderstands that she is allergic to "Rosemary"and water, ... he is confused.

Waitress has waited on Rosemary at another establishment

Rosemary MUST go to the Bathroom and the light is out so she makes everyone come
with her. The Chef shows the way.

They all hear a scream, but are in the dark and no one seems to know what happened.

The Maitr d' flirts with the detective!

When they all return, Rosemary is not with them, but a newly graduate-by-mail 

detective, Detective Harris, comes to the cafe!

He finds a top and a water puddle in the bathroom and everyone becomes a suspect

...Dun, Dun, Dun...!

The Audience gets to ask the suspects questions and guess who the "Murderer" is,
the Maitr d' (Daughter*4) explains this process to the audience.

The High School Principal asks questions of three cast members.

It ends up that the Waitress did it...but all she did was throw water on Rosemary, and it looked like she melted...She really just went to get a towel, and there was NO murder after all.
It was a somewhat short "Theater" production, but a great meal and a very fun event
for all who attended.

Thanks, LuluLiz, for the red and white checked cheese papers! I over did it on
the advertising, we donated the sparkling cider for the meal!
And since I eat gluten free, it didn't occur to me until too late to have baguettes in the basket. Next time ...

I don't think this cafeteria really looks anything like a French Cafe....

but what can you do? ... Use what you've got!!!

Happy Cafes this summer!

Hugs,

Betsy

Cafe ...dun, dun, dun.....MURDER!

Our Dinner Theater ~ Part 1

As the guests were arriving, my friend Marcella began taking pictures for me, I was changing from my decorating casual clothes into something a bit dressier! This is what greeted people as they walked into the Student Center, aka. cafeteria, and whatever else they need it for. We do have an auditorium, but this was the perfect place for this production. When the school was built, this was the cafeteria, the gym, the stage, where they held the dances, you name it, it's seen it! I designed the sign on Picmonkey, (I LOVE that place!) and sent it to Office Depot to have it printed and sent to us. It got there just a few days before the play. You probably don't remember, but we were on our way home from our Daughter*3's College Graduation, and we had to stop at the craft store to pic up the red mat board...it was kinda crazy. It had to be put together the next day before the play. All the other signs I was able to print off and put on a heavy black paper for the signs.

The tables and their centerpieces. We attempted to mimic a version of a french cafe in the US, which is where the play is supposed to have taken place. So, all the guests were "sitting"in the cafe with the cast. I had the red table cloths and I was glad to hear from Liz in Lalaland that red and white were the colors in a French Cafe. We borrowed white table cloths and placed red and white checked paper over the top of those to add more color to the room, and to make it less formal than it would have looked with just the  solid colored cloths. The doilies, I had for years and the flowers and vases were less than $1! I made the menus, writing most of it in French, with the help of Lululiz. She had great patience with me and we had a hilarious time skyping and figuring out exactly how to say what I wanted to say! Each table had a number. We ended up with 16 tables with six people at each table. 

This is the head table where all the cast were seated in the cafe. We put up a backdrop that somewhat matched the look of the tables so that the regular stage, which was not being used, would be somewhat covered....you can only do so much in a high school cafeteria! We wanted lights, but these were a little heavy, but I was 20 miles from home when I realized I did not have the right lights...bummer!

The left part of the backdrop was a painted bridge that the students painted as a part of the scene. Didn't they do a great job???? I was impressed!

This podium was where the Cast Cafe guests arrived to be seated and from which, the Maitre'd addressed the audience. The sign, which is hard to read says that Chef Franc was the chef at...dun...dun.....dun..... CAFE MURDER!!!!!

And every time "Cafe Murder" was said by a member of the cast, there was a wicked evil laugh...it was funny!

This is my baker's rack, as well as everything on it, that we also hauled in my car.  (I have a Mary Poppins Carpet Bag Car!) This was an effort to give the feel of a restaurant. The sign reads,"La Bathroom". Yes, the bathroom was part of the play. I did not write it in french because I didn't know if people would know that "la salle de bain" was French for "The Bathroom". Even the fake ficus trees were in the car! of course we did make two trips with the car, and hubby had to also bring a pickup load. He shakes his head, wondering how in the world decorating for a play fits into any one's definition of fun. But, our daughter*4 played the part of the Maitre'd so he knew he would be helping with MY fun! (Right now he is camping and fishing for a few days with his brother and his nephews. They ride their cycles up to where they fish, and come down in the evening to cook, eat and "pick-up Camp". Yeah, another definition of fun!)

More Pictures to come of the actual dinner and play. It was such a wonderful meal and fun play!
See you soon!
Hearts,
Betsy

This Week's Projects!

I have had lots of fun, and learned much working on things for the spring play 

Daughter*4 is participating in next week....

Here is a "CLUE" about the play. . .

Since I am the Parent of a Drama student who is also a "FREAK Decorator",

I have again appointed myself the Set Decorator for the play.

**shaking head and rolling eyes at self**

The play will be performed in the School cafeteria and will be decorated to

 look like a "French Cafe" 

with the audience seated around the "Stage" table where the Play happens.

It is a cute play and will be fun to watch.

So, I have been gathering and planning and printing and cutting and glueing and 

sewing, and painting and painting and reformatting and reprinting...

My brain and my hands hurt! But I am excited. It has been and will be fun! 

I really enjoy helping with things, I just drive myself and others, including my family crazy with my perfectionism! Hopefully, I can get over that and everyone will be more relaxed around here!

I will post tpictures of the play next week and include the decor and the Menus. It has been fun doing these!

Daughter*3 is Graduating From College this weekend! 

Good Work, Girl!

YOU ROCK!!!

Lots going on around here!

Have a Great week and weekend!!

Heart hugs to you all!

Betsy