Immersive murder mystery brings Winni Players off the stage

NEW HAMPTON — The Winnipesaukee Playhouse is staging its latest interactive performance, “Witness for the Prosecution,” an Agatha Christie murder mystery where the audience will be right in the middle of a court case held in the historic New Hampton Town House.

“It is immersive, and our latest way to let the audience experience theater in new ways,” said director Cory Lawson, who is also director of education and community engagement at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse.

“Witness for the Prosecution” is a classic murder mystery, but Lawson said instead of a “whodunit?”, this is a “did he do it?”

The production starts with Leonard Vole, played by Matthew J. Murray, who comes into the office of town solicitor Sir Wilfrid Robarts, played by Brendan Berube. Vole says he is about to be arrested for the murder of Janet MacKenzie, played by Carolyn Johnson. This leads to the murder trial of Vole, who befriended MacKenzie before she died of “mysterious circumstances.”

“Leonard is now being accused,” Lawson said. “It is the story of Leonard Vole, but it is also the story of Leonard’s wife, who is a key witness on the stand for the trial. What are her motivations? What is she doing? And also, the story of Sir Wilfrid and his quest for truth. And what is the truth? And his desire to go down any path to get there.”

The production stars community actors at Winnipesaukee Playhouse, which has two other divisions that include educational and professional performances. Lawson said this group is a mix of cast members who have been with the playhouse for years, and others they are working with for the first time.

“That’s always the fun of community theater: building and expanding the community and see how they work together,” Lawson said. “I think they get excited by doing this kind of work, too. Doing something different scratches a similar itch, but also awakens new things for them.”

Lawson said this is a show where audience members won’t just watch the trial, but will actually feel like they're part of it.

Lawson said he's been working with Town Administrator Corey Davenport on logistics, and received an old iron key that still unlocks the door to the structure, built in 1798, and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lawson met with the New Hampton Selectboard twice since November: once to pitch the project, and another time for their vote to approve it.

“They are very excited and helpful, and it has been great to work with them.”

The courtroom drama will involve audience members chosen to sit in as jurors, and Lawson said there will be other interactive elements he doesn’t want to spoil.

On Wednesday, the eve of opening night, Lawson walked around the Town House, showing off cushions borrowed from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Franklin on the pews where the audience will watch. The jury of 12 audience members will sit in chairs along the side, to take notes and make their verdict at the end of the show.

“The space is flexible, and there is a stage up here, but we only use it for one scene,” Lawson said. “The show happens all out in a courtroom setup. The audience is right there and part of it. There will be a judge, stenographer and bailiff, and a spot for the witnesses to testify.”

Lawson is excited about the opportunity to use this historic landmark for theater, and said it may also be one of the last chances for the public to see the building before it is renovated.

“It feels like a meaningful intersection of history, storytelling, and a community partnership.”

While this their first immersive courtroom drama, last year the playhouse collaborated with Mount Washington Cruises and the Meredith Historical Society for sold-out performance of “Mutiny on the Mount,” aboard the cruise boat. The musical comedy about the roaring ‘20s was written by Meredith’s Bob Montana, of Archie comics fame.

“I’ve done a lot of different collaborations, but this is the first time I have collaborated with an entire town,” Lawson said. “That has been really interesting.”

Lawson said this gives audience members who come to see their performances on a regular basis a chance to view a production in a brand new way.

“I am a big believer of taking theater out of the walls of the theater itself.”

Lawson has ideas for more interactive performances swirling around his brain, and has been speaking to different groups to narrow down what, and when, the next will be.

“I think if people know about this, and get excited about it, maybe they will want to collaborate, too,” Lawson said. “I am always happy to chat about that.”

Lawson said there has been interest in these unique performances from the community, and ticket sales have been excellent leading up to the opening performance.

“We are getting a lot of buzz, and we do have a waitlist if people want to hop on,” Lawson said. “It is exciting, because the more traction we get, the more of these things we can do, and pitch. We love collaborating with other entities.”

“Witness for the Prosecution” kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, with evening performances continuing at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and a 2 p.m. matinee performance is scheduled for Sunday.

For information, visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.