Grace and Doris Mystery Comedies

by Howard Voland and Keith McGregor

Each play in the series features: An ensemble cast with a majority of female roles • Simple production requirements

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Martha makes her point to Doris.

Murder Inn

Four men/eight women · one interior set · modern dress · running time: two hours plus an intermission.

The first Grace and Doris Mystery Comedy is perfect for Halloween, or any other spot in your season. This delightful comedy features a cast of zany characters, a near-sighted, knife-throwing poltergeist, a Ouija board of doubtful veracity, thunder and lightning, screams in the dark and a satisfying body count.

“Murder Inn” “…features wonderful dialogue, a colorful, kooky cast of characters and a good dose of humor. Plus, it appears that everyone involved is having a grand time, judging from last weekend’s opening performance.

“According to McGregor, ‘Murder Inn’ was written specifically for community theater, and this production’s mix of talent-experienced actors and several first-time performers-works well.

“Two of the characters who delighted the audience most were Grace (Anita Rich) and Doris (Marlene Arnot), the gray-haired, energetic senior citizen duo of the tour. Believers in the ‘when I grow old, I can say just about anything I want’ school of behavior, they do just that. Whether bickering back and forth, or coming back with a purse full of knives after scouring the manor, their astute and quirky observations of every situation could give Seinfeld a run for his money.”
The Everett Herald

More information…

For a copy of the script and production information, please contact Concord Theatricals.

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Doris fends off Hap.

Audition For Murder

Four men/seven women (one walkon) · bare stage with rehearsal furniture · modern dress · running time: two hours plus an intermission.

Grace and Doris are at it again-with another cast of oddball characters. This time they have an accident on a deserted stretch of icy road. Shaken up, but not hurt, they seek help in an isolated building—it turns out to be an old Grange hall which has been converted into a community theatre. They arrive just in time for Audition for Murder.

Give your backstage volunteers and your production budget a break. The set for this play requires a bare stage, a couple of tables, some folding chairs, and a white board. Props, costumes and technical requirements are also very simple. Audition for Murder is great for touring, tight budgets, or that slot in your season where technical and support personnel need a breather.

More information and a copy of the first act…

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Dressing for Murder

Four men/seven women · one interior set · modern dress · running time: two hours plus an intermission.

The third Grace and Doris Mystery is set on a private island in the Pacific Northwest. It is a dark comedy about family intrigue, greed, suspicion and, of course, murder. The family matriarch, Cara Twigg, is convinced that one of her children is killing off their siblings, in hopes of inheriting the family trust. Cara invites her old friends, Grace and Doris, to join the family for Thanksgiving on the isolated island—hoping that they can figure out who’s killing whom among her nefarious offspring.

Premiered Friday, Apr. 18, 2014, at Reunion Theatre in Everett, Washington.

See What’s New to contact us for more information.

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