Murder mystery at redneck wedding

Your invited to get your best redneck duds on and join the Colonel and Sally Mae Jefferson at the dress rehearsal dinner for their daughter’s wedding. Festivities for Mary Jo Jefferson and her groom, the ‘good ole’ boy’ in town, Billy Ray Bob Thudpucker begins at 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 29 at the Bridge City Community Center.

“A Slayin’ in Da South,” directed by Lynae Sanford, is the first Mystery Dinner Theater sponsored by the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $30 and in short supply. “Right now I’m down to 20 out of 250,” said Angela Beck, director of the chamber of commerce. “I think that is really fantastic.”

“If they purchase a table they get a $2 per person discount,” said Beck. A table seats six.

Dig deep in your closet (or for some–not so deep) to get out your mullet wigs, grease stained tees, Daisy Dukes, ripped jeans and flannel shirts. “We encourage everybody to dress up as a redneck and participate. We will be crowning Mr. and Mrs. Redneck at the event, in fact I’m going to Burger King tomorrow to get the crowns,” said Beck on Tuesday.

Most of the cast is well known to area residents. “All these people are local people, Bobby Vincent... who graduated from school when it was Prairie View here. He’s been here his whole life. Of course Eric Andrus is in it from COS Printing. Brandy Slaughter from David Self Ford, Mallory [Guidry] that works at Bette’s Gift Shop is in it.” Beck continued, “Alex Edgerly, he does all the printing, he works for Star Graphics, but he graduated from Orangefield, he’s in it. Hmm, Angela Thames, she is the branch manager of the Bridge City CapitalOne.

“As you can tell, none of these people really have a lot of acting experience. It’s going to be fan-tast-ic. I’m the narrator for the event for the night.

The setting for the play is the Jefferson-Thudpucker wedding rehearsal dinner. “Over the course of the events that night, Mary Jo’s ex-boyfriend, Bo, comes back and causes all kinds of chaos; and that’s where it begins. Of course, since it’s a murder mystery, somebody ends up dying,” said Beck.

“We invite the audience to purchase clues for a dollar [each] from the contestants that are still alive. We invite them to help figure out ‘who dun it.’ It’s going to be a phenomenal event.

“The food that we are going to be serving is going to be brisket, potato salad and baked beans and of course a side salad. We have several local businesses and local individuals that will be providing our desserts.”

Those in attendance must be 21 and up. “Alcohol will be served, beer and wine only. It’ll be available for a donation,” said Beck

“One of the things that is making this a little bit different than any other Mystery Dinner Theater that people have attended is the chamber is trying to emphasise our small businesses by allowing each of the businesses to purchase a table sponsorship, to be able to decorate the table with their own creativity for $50. They don’t get any tickets with that. They get to showcase what they do, with a redneck twist.

“Everyone that attends the event is encouraged to look at all the tables and vote on which one that is their favorite. At the end of the night we will be voting for the Mystery Dinner Theater “Table of the Night” and they will receive a trophy. They will get their name engraved on it.” Beck said, “It will be a pass around trophy. Every year we have this event we will pass that trophy on to the next winner. It’s a nice trophy, it’s one of those tall ones.

“It’s fun you know; and that’s one of the encouraging things–when I get people calling here and say, ‘That’s just what we need here in town.’”

The guests at the table that figures out the mystery first will receive door prizes that are redneck themed.

Tickets can be purchased at COS Printing, Bridge City Bank on Roundbunch and at the BC Chamber of Commerce office.

For more information you can contact Beck at 409-735-5671 during business hours.