Murder Mystery Dinner Will Benefit Mary’s Lamb

Betrayal, deception, sabotage – a controversy is brewing in Riviera Beach and nothing is off the table. Written by Paul Warshauer and produced by Murder 4 Fun Inc. from Chicago, “A Murder on Stoney Creek” will do its best to tease guests with a conundrum of whodunit on April 28 and 29 at Community United Methodist Church (8680 Fort Smallwood Road).

Mickey Kramer, director of operations for Opportunity Ministries, partnered with actress and friend Rhonda Weeks to organize the family-friendly murder mystery dinner as a fundraiser for the Opportunity Ministries Mary’s Lamb program, which provides housing and assistance to women with substance-use disorders and their children.

Pasadena families are encouraged to put on their sleuth hats for “A Murder on Stoney Creek” and engage in an interactive investigation. Since Warshauer tailors each storyline to the area and cast, both nights will feature a different outcome. The actors — Weeks, Chaka Balamani, Mary Sharon, Lisa Clark, Laura Zollinhofer and Kramer — know almost nothing about the show, except a few details provided by Weeks.

“A riverboat is going through Stoney Creek, and at a meeting, the residents discuss an issue. We will be bigwigs,” she said gleefully.

As Weeks explained, Warshauer will request a brief description of the actors’ real-life personalities from Weeks and he will use that information to construct their characters. “This show is all improv,” Weeks said. “We have a quick one-hour rehearsal the night before the show.”

Each of the cast members brings something unique to the show. Balamani is the CEO of Empowering Our Children Filmworks, which produces films that address issues young people face on their journey to adulthood. As an actor, he has been credited for nearly 20 roles and has done murder mystery dinners before, although it was the Mary’s Lamb cause and his friendship with Weeks that drew him to the Pasadena show.

“I love the creative side of it, but I also do a lot background and indie films,” Balamani said of his work experience. “I work with kids at churches and through charity.”

Primarily a production coordinator and production assistant, Clark boasts a resume that includes work on Super Bowl halftime shows, the PBS broadcast of “A Capitol Fourth,” the 12th season of CBS’ “Dancing with the Stars” and much more.

Zollinhofer, a wife and mother of two, has been acting for three years. “I am able to follow my dreams now,” she said, adding that Weeks also recruited her for the Mary’s Lamb fundraiser. “I saw the need, and I said, ‘If you give me an easy part, I’ll do it.’”

Weeks, who is a Chesapeake High graduate just like Clark, said, “I always wanted to act but was too shy.” Once she overcame that bashfulness, Weeks took only four months to get her first lead role in a play. She has since appeared in television, film and about 15 commercials, ranging from national companies like Geico to local fashion segments. Weeks even served as a stand-in for former first lady Michelle Obama. “We’re fortunate to be in the DMV [D.C., Maryland, Virginia] area, which is actually No. 2 in acting jobs behind New York but ahead of Los Angeles.”

Kramer, the latest member of the group bitten by the acting bug, has honed her chops during her travels with Weeks. “We do skits, share testimonies and give a message to youth at retreats and churches,” Kramer explained. “We travel around and just minster and share. The skits we do are realistic. We like to have some humor.”

Tickets to “A Murder on Stoney Creek” are $40, which includes dinner and the show. To reserve tickets, call Lynn Stenner at 410-255-5265 or 410-615-9276.

Weeks expects the show to be a smashing success. “We all work well under pressure,” she said of the cast.