Soon, someone will be murdered — and when it happens, it will be up to the audience members of “Seventy Candles” to solve the crime.
“Seventy Candles,” an original audience participation play, will be performed from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday in the EMU Fir Room to celebrate the annual Singapore Culture Night. The event is sponsored by the Singapore Students Association.
The play combines a classic “whodunit” murder mystery with a celebration of Singapore food and culture, SSA member Christian Tan said. Tan co-wrote the play with fellow SSA member May Heng.
The bright red posters SSA has posted around campus tie into the play with a single Chinese character, which symbolizes both “longevity” and “birthday.” The group chose the character because it represents two of the themes in “Seventy Candles.”
The play’s storyline revolves around the fictitious Weng family, which is throwing a surprise 70th birthday party for the family patriarch Ah-Kong — Chinese for “grandfather.”
But the cast of the show extends beyond the actors on stage, SSA president Lindsay Goh said.
“The audience has a role in the whole drama,” she said.
Audience members will be treated as if they are “guests” at the surprise party. During the show, they will be served an eight-course dinner that will feature a wide variety of traditional Singapore cuisine, SSA member Aileen Tan said.
“The menu reflects the diversity of different racial groups and cultures in Singapore,” she said.
The interactive aspect of the play is intended to show audience members what a traditional birthday banquet in Singapore is really like, Christian Tan said.
Although he is reluctant to divulge too many details about the plot, he said that at some point during the play, one of the characters will be murdered. He pointed out, however, that the murder is one aspect of the play that is not a realistic portrayal of a traditional birthday banquet.
Finding the murderer is the job of the audience, Goh said. Audience members will be seated at tables, and at the end of the show, each table will submit one guess as to who the killer is. Prizes will be awarded to the winning group.
Approximately 100 people attended last year’s culture night, Christian Tan said. This year, he hopes there will be even more.
Tickets are available at the EMU Ticket Office. Admission price is $6 for students, $7 for non-students. The group suggested those attending wear something red because the color symbolizes happiness and prosperity.
More information about the SSA and “Seventy Candles” is available on the group’s Web site at http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~ssa.