Saline Main Street and Mind the Gap Theater Bring Mystery Theater to Downtown Saline

Saline Main Street partnered with Mind the Gap Theatre this weekend for an original production titled “Murder in the Alley.”

The interactive murder mystery was performed Thursday, Jan. 29; Friday, Jan. 30; and Saturday, Jan. 31, at the 109 Cultural Center in downtown Saline.

Mary Dettling, director of Saline Main Street, wrote the script and starred as one of the suspects. Each night, the cast shared their stories, and audience members were encouraged to ask questions and help solve the case.

“Murder in the Alley” tells the fictional story of a Saline landlord found murdered one night in Leather Bucket Alley. Shop owners and local personalities, portrayed by the cast, are interviewed by a detective who records their answers while searching for clues.

Dettling reported strong attendance at all three performances, with the 109 space filled to capacity.

“We really maxed out with how many people would work with the chairs. We had over 30 people every night,” she said.

“It has been so much fun working with the cast members and crew. The audiences have been great,” Dettling added.

She thanked co-directors Adrian Diffey and Fran Potasnik, along with the cast and crew.

“We couldn’t have made this happen without them,” Dettling said.

While the businesses in the production may resemble those in downtown Saline, Dettling emphasized that the characters are fictional.

“I want to reinforce that this story is completely made up. A lot of the characters you met here tonight are the complete opposite of the wonderful people who make up downtown Saline,” she said.

Karrie Waarala, director of the Saline District Library, starred in the show alongside her husband, Jerry Doty. The couple portrayed former love interests and suspects Dahlia and Noah.

“Despite all the animosity between Dahlia and Noah, we really are married,” Waarala said.

In the first act, the cast delivered scripted stories to the detective, who questioned their alibis. During a brief intermission, audience members wrote and submitted questions.

In the second act, the actors improvised responses before continuing to the scripted conclusion. At the end, the audience voted on the murderer, with last-minute evidence revealing the killer, who was taken away in handcuffs. The production kept audience members laughing and guessing throughout.

“Every night, the vote has been different,” Doty said. “While the script was the same, it was different every night based on what the audience thought.”

“The first act is completely scripted. We know what to expect, and we have to be on our toes. But then those questions pop up on the cards,” Waarala said.

“We try to find answers that will move the story along but also have fun,” Doty added.

The couple met at a Saline Area Players show in winter 2019, where they were cast as romantic leads.

“We didn’t know each other at all. Through the course of that process we became friends, and then more than friends. Theater brought us together,” Doty said.

They hope to perform together in future productions.

“We’ve done several shows together and apart, but this was the first time we’ve done a murder mystery, and I’m hooked,” Doty said. “I want to go as an audience member and see what it’s like.”

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