On the night of an artists’ reception, it has become known that the beloved painting was stolen and causes the director of the reception to place the building and grounds under a full lockdown until the culprit is revealed.
The Perkins Center for the Arts invites residents of Moorestown who are age 21 and older to participate in a night of spookiness within the center’s 100-year-old building. On Saturday, Oct. 8 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the first original Mystery Game Night will be held to solve the “Mystery of the Pilfered Painting.”
On the night of an artists’ reception, it has become known that the beloved painting was stolen and causes the director of the reception to place the building and grounds under a full lockdown until the culprit is revealed. Channeling an inner Sherlock, participants are encouraged to come dressed as a character one might find lurking around the center as they sleuth around playing the role of one of 12 possible characters trying to determine who is the thief.
“I was sitting in the kitchen of the Perkins Center with our Executive Director, Karen Chigounis, and the Pottery Studio Manager, Paul Serena. We were discussing fall programming and how we wanted to run an event that would bring members of the community into the space,” Samantha Salazar, the manager of special events at the Perkins Center for the Arts, said. “There are so many nooks to the Perkins Center property guests would enjoy trying to solve a mystery as they roamed throughout the various locations on the property.”
As the event gets underway, guests will arrive and be assigned to a “character team.” They will receive an envelope that includes specific information about their character, such as his or her connection to the mystery, and each group will have a different set of information. Teams may consider communicating with other groups to see if they can get additional information about the possible thief.
“Community members that are interested in literature, mystery, games and problem solving would enjoy this event. No clue is like any other,” Salazar said. “Not only are you moving throughout the building for clues, but you are also trying to communicate with other teams to determine if they have information you might need to solve the mystery!”
In the envelope will also be a map of the “game board,” which includes the whole building and parts of the Carriage House, and a clue. Next, a short performance will take place, including volunteer guest participation, to set the stage for the plot. Guests then become the character pawns and move throughout the spaces, trying to use their sleuthing skills to win and become the first team to solve the mystery.
“The community should consider attending The Pilfered Painting because the event offers a unique experience engaging with the Perkins Center, and not only are attendees unraveling a mystery, but they are part of it,” Salazar said. “Guests enter the building a detective trying to solve a robbery that they might even be a part of. The evening is a combination of performance, sleuthing and fun.”
Rent-A-Chef is catering the event’s hors d’oeuvres and will feature its gourmet antipasto spread, an assortment of dips and a fresh fruit display. Additionally, live music will be provided by Frank Staneck, a board member and Conservatory of Music piano teacher who has composed an original piece entitled “The Jazzy Detective” that will be featured during the evening. He will also be performing classic mystery themes.
Prizes at the end of the event will include gift certificates and handcrafted artwork, as well as a smell memento that all participants will receive.
Tickets for the event cost $30 per person, but there is a discount code available for those who purchase five or more tickets. Use code: PilferedGroup at checkout and receive $5 off each ticket.
Over the course of the next month, the Perkins Center will also be hosting a Lunch and Learn Lecture Series on the South Jersey Wine Trail on Thursday, Oct. 6, Moorestown Decafe Concert featuring The Blue Vipers on Friday, Oct. 21 and a Moorestown Open Studio Tour on Saturday, Oct. 22. For additional information about these events, visit the Perkins Center website at: perkinsarts.org/events.
