CLOUDCROFT LIGHT OPERA "Murder on the Blackboard"

	THE LODGE MURDER MYSTERY
	November 5,6,7, 2005
	"MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD"

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MS. NETTIE SPIKES
(the PE teacher)
played by Sandi Lawrence:

Nettie had tried out other "gentlemen" in the school both single and married after a series of one-sided unhappy romantic escapades with the History teacher, Mr.Pat Boney. She was having a quarrel with the English teacher. Ms. Nilda Hyphens, right before Nilda was murdered.

MR. CRAMER ABACUS
(the Math teacher)
played by George Mitchell:

Mr. Abacus is very intelligent and able to solve almost any problem, math or otherwise. Highly esteemed and well thought of by other teachers.

MR. ADAM NEUTRON
(the Science teacher)
played by Rich Penner:

Mr. Neutron is a mad scientist who had to go into teaching because he kept blowing up his laboratory. He has a crush on Nettie Spikes the PE teacher despite her reputation for playing around and around.

MS. NILDA HYPHENS
(the English teacher)
the murder victim:

MR. PAT BONEY
(the History teacher)
played by Dave Venable:

Boney had an affair with Nettie Spikes. He wanted to continue the relationship with Nettie but she broke it off. Boney is completely infatuated with Nettie to the point of losing all self-respect and reasoning. When they were together he would do anything she wanted.

MS. ZELIG VON TRUTTEN
(the Librarian)
played by Marty Ware:

Von Trutten is a bit of a nut, kind of crazy, and always in to the latest Stephen King novel. Most people tend to keep their distance from Von Trutten. She is also a gossip and will tell everything to anyone, no matter who tells her what.

MS. CLAUDETTE TRUFFLES
(the French teacher)
played by Rebecca Sheriff

What a looker! Tres flamboyant! She is the femme fatale of every male student. She also has a problem with extra-marital affairs. Ms. Truffles had a classroom across the hall from the English teacher, whom she did not like because she came on to her once at last years retreat.

DR. SUE RUTH
(the School Counselor)
played by Viola Penner:

Dr. Ruth is a happy-go-lucky person. She does not have a problem with anyone and likes to listen to their problems but maintains strict confidentiality. She in the peace maker of the group and is in love with the science teacher, Mr. Neutron.

MR. ED KENNEDY
(the Special Education teacher)
played by Arlan Ponder:

Kennedy is a little quirky but everyone seems to like him and has their respect. He is always coming up with unique ideas to better the school. Continually visits the school nurse, Mary Rileee, to have his blood sugar tested.

MR. SMARTY JONES
(the school principal)
played by Ed Carlton:

Mr. Jones is rather an old fashioned academic. He wants the school to get back to the basics, reading, writing, and arithmetic, so that school test scores will go up. He set up the retreat to introduce some changes in how classes were to be conducted. Additionally, he is getting ready to retire and wants "his" school on a solid academic footing before he does. He is very opinionated, stanch conservative, and adamantly opposes extra marital relationships.

MR. PETER STIFFLY
(the school vice-principal)
played by Robert Wright:

Mr. Stiffly is usually a goody-goody type until he found out about the affair. He threatened to expose the affair unless he got some "special favors" from them while at the retreat. According to him, "whatever happens in Cloudcroft stays in Cloudcroft." Also has been trying to make time with Ms. Stacey Knowsall a/k/a Ms. Janie Foster..

MS. STACEY KNOWSALL
(retired returning Life Skills teacher) and her stage name
MS. JANIE FOSTER (the drama teacher)
played by Gloria Wood

Ms. Knowsall had retired from the teaching profession but decided to return to the classroom so that she could "double-dip" from the state coffers. She was treated like an academic pariah and relegated to sharing office space with the school counselor. People think she should have stayed retired and there-by make room for someone else in the teaching profession. She feels isolated and resents the other teachers. Being pursued by the VP for romantic tryst but as Ms. Foster is the epitome of a true drama queen! She is always over-the-top and is definitely always on stage. She is always ready to tell what she knows, even if she knows nothing. Even though everyone likes her, most take what she says with a grain of salt.

MS. MARY RILEEE
(the school nurse)
played by Bethani Sellers:

Ms. Rileee, the school nurse that knows all the physical and mental problems enjoyed by the staff and faculty of the school. Of course she wouldn't hurt a fly, right?

MR. TARY NOTES
(the school secretary)
played by Gary Wood

As with most schools, the school secretary runs the school. Mr. Notes has all the inside information on anything and everything that goes on inside and outside the school, as long as it concerns the staff and faculty. If it weren't for him, nothing would get done.

OFFICER DAN REID (the local police detective)
played by Tice Sheriff:

Detective Reid is a "never off-duty" detective, and is always seen with his detective notebook and pencil. He believes that murders are just a puzzle in life and all you need to do is fit it all together.

SIGN IN DESK

Pat & Ken Gwen & Beaumont

THE PLAY

"MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD"

By
Bethani Sellers & Sandi Lawrence

Mystery Scenario

You are taken you back to school for an old Murder Mystery. It seems the teachers and staff from Mesquite High School in Columbia, Texas, came to The Lodge for a retreat to discuss changes in curriculum, scheduling, and duties for the upcoming semester. Everyone arrived Thursday night around 6:30 pm and checked into their rooms. Prior to dinner, Nettie Spikes and Nilda Hyphens were observed having a heated discussion by the fireplace. Later everyone assembled and ate dinner at Rebecca's at 7:30 pm and retired to their own devices around 9:00 pm.

Your homework is to find out who was not the teacher's pet and why staying after school was not punishment enough.

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Today students, we will put on our thinking caps and try to solve a most troubling mystery that has occurred at The Lodge in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.

Nilda Hyphens was last seen alive stumbling down the hallway bumping into objects as she went to her room around 8:30 pm. Later on in the evening, having treated Ms. Hyphens for unexplained bruising, the school nurse, Mary Rileee, stopped by on her way to her own room to check on Ms. Hyphens. After knocking on the door and receiving no answer she tried the doorknob and discovered it unlocked. Immediately upon entering the room she noticed Ms. Hyphens laying on the bed and apparently not breathing. After finding no pulse nor respiration, Mary quickly phoned the front desk notifying them of her discovery. She then moved the victim to the floor and began CPR. She continued to administer CPR until the EMS arrived. Upon their arrival it was determined that Nilda Hyphens was dead. Due to the suspicious nature of Ms. Hyphens demise, Sheriff Dan Reid informed all Lodge quests and employees that they were not to leave Cloudcroft until further notice.

The investigation continues.

**********************************

MURDER SUSPECTS ???



THE MURDER !!!

MORE MURDER SUSPECTS ???

AND THE MANY QUESTIONS AT THE COCKTAIL PARTY








	DID YOU ASK ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS???

**********************************

Okay students, now gather round,
You're about to go out on the town.
Someone has been bad in school,
and played the principal for a fool.
Use all your wits and skill,
and find out who likes to kill.
You don't need hall passes or cops,
just look for clues in some of the shops.
Take a field trip down to our town,
where many clues can be found.
Put them all together for an "A"
and teacher's pet you'll be today.
To get to the right spots for clues,
get your wraps and move those shoes.
Since this will be easy just like recess,
your hard work will bring success.

**********************************

FINAL EXAM

IN ORDER TO PASS THIS COURSE SUCCESSFULLY YOU MUST SATISFACTORY ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS BELOW.
SPELLING AND GRAMMAR ERRORS WILL BE COUNTED AGAINST THE FINAL GRADE. THIS IS AN OPEN BOOK TEST AND YOU MAY USE YOUR NOTES. GOOD LUCK!

QUESTION 1 (HOME EC.): BUTTON, BUTTON, WHO'S GOT THE BUTTON? A PLACE WHERE MORK FROM ORK MIGHT FIND HIS ORT.

QUESTION 2 (SHOP): A PLACE WHERE A "FLATFOOT"
HAMMERS THINGS INTO SHAPES.

QUESTION 3 (SKILLS CLASS): TRACES OF BRADY AND ADAMS LINGER IN THE DARK CORNERS OF THIS ROOM.

QUESTION 4 (PE): YOU NEED PHYSICAL TRAINING IN ORDER TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT IN THIS LOCALE.

QUESTION 5 (HISTORY): WHAT DO ZEST, LAVA, AND IRISH SPRING HAVE IN COMMON? YES, I KNOW THEY'RE SOAPS! THEN GO TO WHERE SITTING ON HIGH YOU SEE YOURSELF IN YOUR CUPS.

QUESTION 6 (ARCHEOLOGY): WHEN IT IS TIME TO GET SPIFFY WE DIG OUT OUR "OLD" BAUBLES AND BANGLES. GO TO THE END AND ASK FOR A DANCER.

QUESTION 7 (BUSINESS): EEK! WHO'S THAT CREEPING ROUND THE CORNER? AND THERE'S NEVER A TRACE OF RED. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR THE SCARLET BILLOWS AND SHOW THEM PEARLY WHITES. REALLY!!

QUESTION 8 (MATH-LOGIC): IT KEEPS THE PESTS AWAY WHILE MOMMA "WORKS" ON THOSE EGG AS LITTLE JOHNNY WALKS THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.

QUESTION 9 (TV LAND STUDIES): LOOK FOR TONY DOW'S DAD AND YOU WILL FIND THE OWNER OF WHERE THE EMPEROR, WHILE MAKING AN ASS OF HIMSELF, FORGOT TO SHOP.

QUESTION 10 (PARANORMAL STUDIES): SEAN, TIM, AND KEVIN WENT WHERE ONLY ONE OF THE FIVE IS NEEDED.

QUESTION 11 (MARKETING): THERE WAS A SIMPLE MAN WHO HAD A SIMPLE PLAN TO STAY ON TOP AND EVERYWHERE HE WENT PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS SOUPY SALES.

FUN WAS HAD BY ALL
ESPECIALLY OUR "SUPER SLEUTHS"

Did we solve the Crime???

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