Contemporary Theater Company to Stage WHODUNIT? An Improvised Murder Mystery

Stranded on a remote island. The year is 1812. Survival is uncertain, and someone will not make it through the night. The Contemporary Theater Company will present the return of its hit series Whodunit? An Improvised Murder Mystery, now in its 9th season, bringing audiences an entirely new high-stakes setting inspired by a shipwreck in the North Atlantic.

 

After their vessel crashes onshore, a group of survivors must fend for themselves on a barren island, navigating dwindling resources, fractured alliances, and the growing fear that one of their own is a killer. As tensions rise, a murder occurs, forcing the survivors—and the audience—to unravel the mystery before another life is lost.

 

Performances run Saturdays at 7 pm from January 24 through March 28, with every show fully improvised and completely different from the last. The cast begins each performance knowing only their character names and one chilling truth: someone will die. From there, the story unfolds live, with no script and no predetermined ending. It combines comedy and suspense for an incredible night of theater.

 

“There's nothing quite like Whodunit,” says General Manager Maggie Cady. “This year's shipwreck setting adds real urgency. Adding the element that everyone is desperate and in danger really adds to the stakes—and none of us know who the murderer will be until it's revealed onstage.”

 

“For this year's Whodunit I wanted to create a new challenge,” says director Madeline England. “Think bottle episode of a show, stripping away any outside forces, leaving an empty yet inspiring space to let the characters and plot shine through. A space where the characters' personalities and conflict can't help but come to a head. There's nothing more exciting in theater and improv than watching a character change, for the audience to watch as preconceived notions and put upon charades of characters are twisted and torn away to reveal true personality, secrets, and motive.”

 

The production features period costumes and an immersive set evoking both a rocky shoreline and the wrecked interior of the ship itself, grounding the improvisation in a richly detailed historical world.

 

The ensemble includes returning audience favorites Sami Avigdor, Maggie Cady, Cathleen Carr, Riley Cash, Laura Kennedy, Kenney Knisely, and Max Rosmarin, joined this season by newcomers Rey Billups and Randall Miller.

 

Balancing sharp comedy with all the hallmarks of classic murder mysteries, Whodunit invites audiences to play detective while enjoying the spontaneity and wit of live improvisation. Fans often return multiple times to see how wildly the mystery changes from week to week, collecting exclusive Whodunit? trading cards at each performance.

 

“Whodunit rewards returning audiences again and again because each night is completely different,” says Cady. “You'll have characters you're excited to see each week, but the relationships, plot, and even the murder are totally new. Come see it once—trust me, you'll want to come back.”

 

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