Jazz Age Jeopardy Fe v002b [PDF]

Citation preview

A Murder Mystery and Scavenger Hunt in Two Acts The guests at your murder mystery party will be playing the roles of staff, entertainers and guests at a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City. It is the height of the Jazz Age, and social revolution is afoot. Furthermore, this is the age of Prohibition—and of bootleggers and gangsters. Club owner Felix Fontano, the son of a successful bootlegger and crime boss—and a successful businessman himself—is throwing this private party for a group of select friends. It is a night of revelry like many other nights of revelry enjoyed by this group of sophisticates, artists and hoodlums . . . until things go horribly wrong.



1



Jazz Age Jeopardy by Melissa Buchanan Design, Layout and Art by Bryon Burrus and Ken Blumreich Edited by Bryon Burrus  Ken Blumreich and Playing with Murder Press 2013 A personal, revocable, nontransferable, and nonexclusive license to make limited personal use of this material is granted to you subject to the terms and conditions described in the Playing with Murder User Agreement, the text of which can be found at http://www.playingwithmurder.com/user-agreement-i-6.html. Last Revision: 11/28/2013



2



Table of Contents I. Introductory Materials ..........................................................................................5 Welcome!.............................................................................................................. 6 What Is My Role? ............................................................................................. 8 How Do I Get Started? ..................................................................................... 9 1. An Overview of the Party ................................................................................. 11 2. Character List .................................................................................................. 16 Male Roles ....................................................................................................... 16 Female Roles ................................................................................................... 17 Male or Female Roles ...................................................................................... 17 3. Preparations .................................................................................................... 19 Props ................................................................................................................ 19 Menu ............................................................................................................... 20 Setting the Scene ............................................................................................ 20 Audio............................................................................................................... 20 Costumes ......................................................................................................... 21 Preparing the Paperwork ............................................................................... 22 4. Before the Party.............................................................................................. 23 Invitations and Assigning Characters ............................................................ 23 Preparing the Scavenger Hunt ....................................................................... 25 II. Party Guidebook ................................................................................................27 5. Running the Party .......................................................................................... 28 Guest Arrival................................................................................................... 28 Introduction to the Guests ............................................................................. 28 Welcome To The Party Script ..................................................................... 29 Act One ........................................................................................................... 30 Dinner Ends Script ...................................................................................... 31 Intermission .................................................................................................... 31 Act Two ........................................................................................................... 32 A Terrible Discovery Script ........................................................................ 32 Hunting for Clues ........................................................................................... 34 Suspect Interrogations Script ..................................................................... 34 Suspect Interrogations ................................................................................... 35 Final Presentation of Evidence ...................................................................... 35 Presentation of Evidence Script ................................................................. 36 Votes ............................................................................................................... 36 Revelation!.......................................................................................................37 III. Printed Materials ............................................................................................. 38 6. Nametags and Character Sheets .................................................................... 39 Nametags ........................................................................................................ 40 Character Sheets ............................................................................................. 44 Felix Fontano .............................................................................................. 44



3



Edith Fontano ..............................................................................................47 Edgar Fitzpatrick ........................................................................................ 49 June Palmetto ............................................................................................. 53 Raymond Reynolds ......................................................................................55 Judy Jordon ................................................................................................. 57 Jefferson Mitchell ....................................................................................... 59 Claudia W. Mitchell ..................................................................................... 61 Roger Webster ............................................................................................ 63 Duke Carillo ................................................................................................ 65 Poppy Gebhardt ...........................................................................................67 Win Wallace ................................................................................................ 69 Gloria Call .................................................................................................... 71 Elliot Nash ...................................................................................................73 Calvin Carpenter .......................................................................................... 75 Charlie Chambers ........................................................................................ 77 Ronald Mason ..............................................................................................79 Jacqueline Jacobs ........................................................................................ 81 Ella Landeau ............................................................................................... 83 Bess Bailey .................................................................................................. 85 Holly Olmstead ........................................................................................... 87 Brett Burgess............................................................................................... 89 Regan Richards ............................................................................................ 91 Alex Preston ................................................................................................ 93 7. Props and Printouts ....................................................................................... 95 Invitations ...................................................................................................... 96 The Guest List ................................................................................................. 98 RSVP Card Version 1 ...................................................................................... 99 RSVP Card Version 2 .................................................................................... 100 Suggestions for Costumes Handout .............................................................. 101 Jazz Age Vocabulary Handout ......................................................................102 Clues ..............................................................................................................103 Voting Sheet .................................................................................................. 107 Awards .......................................................................................................... 108 Party Scripts .................................................................................................. 115 Welcome To The Party Script .................................................................... 115 Dinner Ends Script .................................................................................... 116 A Terrible Discovery Script ....................................................................... 117 Suspect Interrogations Script .................................................................... 118 Presentation of Evidence Script ................................................................ 119



4



I. Introductory Materials Section I of this instruction manual contains all of the introductory materials necessary for planning and preparing your party. In this section you will find a basic overview of the plot; a description of each of the characters; tips on preparing your playing area, choosing a menu, and organizing your printouts; and detailed instructions on how to go about inviting players and assigning characters. Please note: The majority of the contents of this book are intended for the eyes of the Host/Hostess only! The success of your party hinges on a strong element of intrigue and mystery, so be certain not to share this book with the other players. The material that should be provided to your guests is clearly described in this book. Under no circumstances should you allow any of your players access to this book!



5



Welcome! Thank you for choosing Jazz Age Jeopardy, another fine product by PWM Press; this package contains everything you need to host a spectacular Murder Mystery Party that your guests will remember for many years to come. Included are materials for hosting a party for anywhere from fifteen to twenty-four participants (plus yourself). Mystery Parties are essentially a combination of improvisational acting, storytelling and creative problem solving. Your guests will each assume the role of a particular character and will play the part of that character throughout the course of the game. Each character has specific personality traits, goals, secrets and information, all of which are included in the character sheet. A big part of the entertainment value of Mystery Parties is getting into character and trying to achieve your character’s individual goals. At some point during the party, an Event will occur that will force the players to come together in order to solve a problem or unravel a mystery. Traditionally, the Event in question will be the murder of one of the characters (as played by a guest), but the basic framework of a Mystery Party can accommodate numerous different types of Events. The guests will need to use the information that their characters know (as well as additional clues that are provided during the game) to solve the mystery or overcome the problem posed by the Event. Typically this culminates in the guests voting on the identity of the murderer, but again, different parties will have different specific goals. The party may also have certain additional subgames built into the framework; for example, many Mystery Parties will have some form of scavenger hunt built into the story. Once the mystery has been solved or the problem has been overcome, the party draws to a close. Guests are provided with an opportunity to vote on the best actor/actress, the best-dressed player, and so forth, and are then given certificates and awards for their participation in the game. Throughout the course of the party, the Host/Hostess is responsible for ensuring that the event continues to run smoothly. He or she sets the scene, provides dinner and drinks, and moves the plot along at key points by reading scripted descriptions of what is happening. Frequently the Host/Hostess will also play the part of one of the characters. This particular Mystery Party, Jazz Age Jeopardy, is a murder mystery wherein each party guest will be playing the role of a staff member, entertainer, or guest at



6



a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City. Club owner Felix Fontano, the son of a successful bootlegger and crime boss—and a successful businessman himself—is throwing this private party for a group of select friends. It is a night of revelry like many other nights of revelry enjoyed by this group of sophisticates, artists, and hoodlums . . . until a murder occurs.



Please be advised: The parties developed by PWM Press are substantially more complex and detailed than other similar products. Even if you are experienced at hosting Murder Mystery Parties, it is imperative that you read chapters one through seven carefully and completely before beginning to plan out your party!



7



What Is My Role? As the Host or Hostess, your role in the party is that of a facilitator or storyteller. It is your job to plan the event, prepare the playing area, and, once the game begins, move the story along and make certain that everyone is on task and enjoying themselves. In many Mystery Parties the Host or Hostess takes on the role of one of the guests and is given the option to not learn the identity of the murderer before the game, thereby allowing him or her to participate in the party in the same way as the other players. However, because Jazz Age Jeopardy is a more complex party, it is necessary for the Host or Hostess to have a clear understanding of all key plot points in order to ensure that the game runs smoothly. This means that you will be aware of the killer and victim’s identity in advance and will not be playing one of the characters in the story; rather, you will be the Narrator, a guide who is not technically part of the story but is rather there to advance the action.



8



How Do I Get Started? Start by reading this entire book thoroughly. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized! This book contains detailed information on every aspect of planning and executing your party, and you will find that a comprehensive understanding of the source material will make each of your responsibilities as Host or Hostess much simpler and more enjoyable. Once you have read the entire book, you should do the following:



Several Weeks Before the Party • •



•



Decide on the date of your event. The more time you give yourself to prepare, the more successful your event will be. It is recommended that you give yourself a minimum of two weeks to prepare for your party. Decide on your location, menu, casino games, and decorations. You have numerous options for determining how to decorate your venue and what food to serve. You should decide on these options well in advance of the actual party and create a list of supplies that you will need. Refer to Chapter Three (Props, Menu, and Setting the Scene) for suggestions on menu items and decorations. Decide on your guest list and send out invitations. You will need between ten and 24 confirmed participants in order for your party to run properly. Refer to Chapter Four (Invitations and Assigning Characters) for detailed information on assigning characters and issuing invitations.



One Week Before the Party •



•



Purchase any necessary supplies. If you require special decorations or ingredients for your menu, purchase them well in advance of your party date. Waiting until the day of or day before the event will be more stressful and difficult than taking the time beforehand. Verify attendance. Contact each of your guests beforehand and verify that they will still be able to make it. If there are any last minute cancellations, you may need to bring in alternate players.



9



•



Prepare the paperwork. Print out copies of the character sheets, clues, tokens, voting sheets, and other relevant materials. Refer to Chapter Three (Preparing the Paperwork) for specific instructions.



One Day Before the Party • •



Decorate your venue. Depending on the complexity of your decorations, you may wish to begin decorating your venue a full day in advance. Begin preparing the food. Any food items that can be prepared in advance should be readied before the day of the party. While this will, of course, depend somewhat on your particular menu, ideally you should have everything ready to either go in the oven or be set out on the table.



The Day of the Party •



•



•



Finish decorating and setting up the games. If there is additional decorating that needs to be done, try to do it several hours in advance of guest arrival; remember that some people may end up arriving earlier than you expect! Finish preparing the food. If there are items that need to be cooked or prepared on the day of the party, have them ready to go before your guests arrive. Remember that once the party starts, you will have numerous responsibilities and will not be able to spend too much time in the kitchen. Set out folders with character sheets and other prepared materials. Have all of your paperwork prepared and ready for distribution. Refer to Chapter Three (Preparing the Paperwork) for details. Make certain that you have a copy of Chapter Five (Running the Party) on hand.



Upon Guest Arrival •



Use the guidebook to run the party. Chapter Five (Running the Party) serves as a step-by-step manual that will walk you through the events that are to occur once the party begins.



10



-1An Overview of the Party Summary of the Crime and Solution Club owner Felix Fontano, son of bootlegger and crime boss Frank Fontano, is murdered during the party being held at his jazz club, The Cat’s Meow. The guests must determine who did it and turn the perp over to old Frank and his gangsters. If a full-on police investigation occurs, all the guests could be targeted by the mob, since the police are notoriously corrupt and would probably leak their identities. Plus, many of the characters are prominent citizens and want to avoid scandal. They must find the murderer as quickly and quietly as possible and turn him over to Frank Fontano for swift justice. At the party’s end, it will be determined by the guests (or revealed to them should they fail to solve the mystery correctly) that Edgar Fitzpatrick, the Broadway producer, is the murderer. Felix Fontano promised financial backing for Edgar’s latest project but decided not to pay after he found out Edgar was having an affair with his wife, Edith. He gave Edgar an ultimatum: break things off with Edith or lose the backing for his play. On this night, Edgar is still trying to decide which to choose, Edith or the play. Edith is the beneficiary of Felix’s estate and has insinuated that she would provide complete financial support to Edgar if she were in control of Felix’s money. If only. A solution to his dilemma presents itself when Felix confronts him in a secluded corridor near the back exit. Just as Edgar feels his back is against the wall—literally and figuratively—he remembers the half-drunk bottle of gin in his hand. Felix isn’t expecting a blow and Edgar takes advantage. He delivers a brutal blow to Felix’s head, and Felix falls forward, still conscious, and grabs Edgar’s lapel to pull him to the ground. As they fall, Edgar stabs Felix in the chest with the broken bottle. This is the fatal wound. Edgar thinks he has a clear getaway, but his exit is thwarted when he hears approaching footsteps. With no time to make it to the exit, he must slip back into the party and attempt to act nonchalant. At least there are other guests present that have grievances with Felix and possible motives to kill him. If the crime can be pinned on one of them and that person is handed over to Frank Fontano, the entire matter will be solved (for Edgar, that is).



11



Basic Outline of the Evening: This mystery is divided into two primary segments. During the first portion of the evening (Act One), the guests will arrive and mingle in character. Dinner will be served. And there will be dancing (if you’d rather not actually have dancing, the Host/Hostess can just read the script card that says the characters are dancing, and the guests can pretend that this is what was happening). At some point during the dancing, the Host/Hostess will call intermission and set up Act Two. (The first part of the evening can go on however long you wish. If the guests are having a blast with their characters, let it continue for a while. If there’s a lull, move forward to the action.) The guest playing Felix Fontano will be pulled aside and informed of his misfortune, and the discovery of the murder scene will be staged. Act Two will begin with the grisly discovery of Felix Fontano’s bloody body. In the area around the body, there are signs of the struggle that occurred prior to Felix’s death. It will now be up to the guests to figure out what happened. Once Felix’s body is found, it will be quickly decided by the guests that the best course of action is not to call the police, but rather to conduct an investigation amongst themselves and hand the murderer over to the Felix’s father, Frank Fontano, who will surely exact justice and tie up any loose ends. At this point, all the guests are suspects; a formal police investigation would dredge up unsavory details of their pasts and expose them to public scandal and unwanted personal repercussions. In addition, they could all become targets of the victim’s muchfeared father and his criminal organization. Best to clear this up quickly and quietly. The ensuing investigation will take place in two parts: a scavenger hunt for clues and suspect interviews. In the second act, the guest who played Felix will take on the role of Cecil Ripley, a private investigator who has been tailing the victim for weeks at the behest of old Frank. He was planning to attend the party tonight in disguise as a waiter but was diverted by another case. When he finally arrived at the party, the crime had already occurred. Instead of pretending to be a waiter, he decides to reveal his identity as a PI and lead the informal investigation (he’s actually a well-known PI and the others acquiesce to his leadership because of this—and also because he’s working for the much-feared old Frank). He is not a suspect, nor does he know who did it, but he has knowledge that will help solve the crime, and he is able to believably ask pertinent questions of the other guests. Cecil will suggest that the investigation begin with a more thorough examination of the crime scene. It appears as though there was a struggle and that the killer left quickly. He or she probably left clues behind. (The body will not be there anymore, of course. The Host/Hostess will put something in the body’s place to represent it.) The guests will then take part in the scavenger hunt for clues. They will collect the clues and bring them to a central location.



12



The next stage of the investigation will be witness/suspect interviews. The Act Two character sheet for Cecil Ripley will include the questions he should ask. Once the clues have been collected and the interrogations have occurred, the guests will be given an opportunity to discuss all of their knowledge amongst themselves, ask questions of one another, level accusations and make defenses. It should quickly become apparent that there are only four or five viable suspects. The guests will probably focus their suspicions on Edith and Edgar. A few clues and pieces of information will tip the scales toward Edgar. Conclusion: At the end of the evening the partygoers will have the opportunity to cast their vote for who they think the killer is. After the votes are cast, the Host/Hostess and the guest playing Edgar Fitzgerald will explain what really happened. At the end of the evening, several awards will be presented to the guests. These awards are fully outlined in Chapter Five. Clues Edgar didn’t have time to cover his tracks properly, and he overlooked several things that may be enough to implicate him if the other guests are observant and clever. These clues will be uncovered during the scavenger hunt portion of the evening. In addition, several characters have information on their character sheets the will bring Edgar under suspicion. Part of the point of having the Cecil Ripley character is so that someone within the story can make sure that the necessary information on the character sheets comes to light. In order to make the mystery a little more challenging, some of the clues are actually red herrings, designed to throw the guests off track a bit. The preponderance of evidence implicates Edgar and should eventually lead most of the players to settle upon him as the murderer. Scavenger hunt clues (If you’d like to make the scavenger hunt more challenging, you can hide the clues in a relatively large area, but let your guests know that, for the purposes of solving the mystery, the clues they find represent items found near the murder scene.): • Unlabeled broken bottle of booze. This object was used to hit Felix on the head, which broke it. This clue shows that a struggle occurred. It suggests a crime of opportunity and passion rather than a professional hit. Upon closer examination, it is discovered that there are bloody fingerprints upon the bottle. The orientation of the fingerprints indicates that the wielder of this weapon was left-handed. The bartender will recognize the smell of the booze as being that of gin. He will remember that only a few guests were drinking gin that evening. • Vaudeville playbill for The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show. This appears to have fallen out of someone’s pocket during the struggle, although it’s not clear whether it belonged to Felix or the murderer. Elliot



13



• •



•



•



•



Nash and Calvin Carpenter saw Edith and Edgar at this play and will tell the others they think the playbill belonged to one of those characters. A note from Judy Jordan, asking Felix to run away with her. The clue card indicates that this note was found on Felix’s body. It is a red herring. An IOU voucher from the horseracing track. This was found on Felix’s body. Some of the characters know that Duke Carillo owes Felix money and that he owns the track. They will associate him with this clue. It is a red herring. Pocket watch. The watch appears to have been lost by one of the parties during the struggle. It bears the inscription: “My love, E.” This could mean a few different things. The watch could belong to someone with the initial E or it could be a gift from someone with the initial E. The watch could have been a gift from Edith to Felix or it could have belonged to the murderer. Once some of the information about the affair between Edgar and Edith comes to light, this clue will probably be interpreted as belonging to Edgar (which is correct), but it is not clear-cut. An ornate broach wrapped in a package from Tiffany’s. It is not clear whether this box fell from Felix’s person during the struggle or from the murderer’s. It is certainly a gift for a woman. Edgar will have told some of the other guests during Act One about a “special piece of jewelry” he has bought for a “special lady.” Also, Edith will remember that she saw this broach while she was in the store one day and that she admired it. But she won’t remember which man she had been with that day—Felix or Edgar. A train ticket to Philadelphia. This fell from Edgar’s pocket during the struggle, but it will not be immediately apparent to the guests that this did not belong to Felix. Edith and at least one other person know that Edgar had plans to head to Philly this very evening.



Character sheet clues: Several of the guests have information that may place suspicion on Edgar Fitzpatrick. This information includes: o Edgar and Felix were seen and heard (from a distance) having a heated argument at Roger Webster’s house. o Several characters know or suspect that Edgar is having an affair with Edith Fontano. o A few characters know that Felix had promised Edgar financial backing for his play. o A couple of characters know that Felix threatened to withdraw the backing unless Edgar broke things off with Edith. o The accountant knows that Edith is the beneficiary of Felix’s estate. o Edith knows that Edgar had train tickets to Philadelphia. Red Herrings: The IOU is a red herring pointing to Duke. The accountant also knows that Duke owed Felix money. Much of the information that implicates Edgar could also implicate Edith. A bad business deal between Jefferson Mitchell and Felix Fontano will come to light, giving Jefferson probable motive. Duke,



14



Edgar, June, and Roger are all left-handed. Felix’s mob ties could lead some guests to believe the killing was a hit. Raymond Reynolds was also planning a trip to Philadelphia. Several characters have reasons to dislike Felix that could be construed as motives to kill him.



15



-2Character List Please note: This character list is for the Host/Hostess’s eyes only and should not be shared with the other players. An abbreviated guest list to be included with the invitations is provided in the handouts chapter (Chapter Seven). The following is a summary of the different characters who will be in attendance. Characters marked with an asterisk (*) are optional characters that are not necessary for the events of the evening to unfold.



Male Roles 1. Felix Fontano, Club Owner Felix owns The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. He is attractive and vain, the son of famous bootlegger Frank Fontano. He is the victim in this mystery. 2. Edgar Fitzpatrick, Broadway Producer Edgar is an up-and-coming Broadway director and producer. He is having an affair with Felix’s wife, Edith. He is the murderer. 3. Raymond Reynolds, Artist Raymond is an old college buddy of Felix’s. He’s an artist and something of a dilettante. He comes from old money. 4. Jefferson Mitchell, Stockbroker Jefferson is a successful stockbroker working on Wall Street. 5. Roger Webster, Attorney Roger is a money-hungry, ambulance-chasing attorney. 6. Duke Carillo, Track Owner Duke owns a horseracing track in New Jersey. He’s an old friend of the Fontano family. 7. Poppy Gebhardt, Club Manager Poppy manages the day-to-day affairs of the club with an iron fist. He resents any interference. 8. Calvin Carpenter, Bartender Calvin is the bartender at the club. He’s cocky and presumptuous. A scoundrel with the ladies. 9. Ronald Mason, Doctor * Ronald is a physician who has made a lot of money during Prohibition because of his willingness to prescribe medicinal alcohol.



16



Female Roles 1. Edith Fontano, Club Owner’s Wife Edith is Felix’s wife. Enduring years of his infidelity has left her hardened and cynical. She has recently found love with Edgar Fitzpatrick. 2. June Palmetto, Actress June is a famous actress, a southern belle in the big city. She once had an affair with Felix. Now she’s good friends with Edith. 3. Judy Jordan, Flapper Judy Jordan is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She is young, bubbly, and optimistic. She’s in a relationship with Felix. 4. Claudia Mitchell, Writer Claudia is a well-known author and the wife of stockbroker Jefferson Mitchell. She was active in the women’s suffrage movement. 5. Gloria Call, Singer Gloria is a jazz singer hired to perform this evening. 6. Jacqueline Jacobs, Fashion Designer * Jacqueline is a snobbish fashion designer. She has a boutique catering to young flapper types. 7. Ella Landeau, Flapper * Ella Landeau is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s confident and flirtatious. 8. Bess Bailey, Flapper * Bess Bailey is a popular young woman on the party circuit. Although she’s happygo-lucky on the outside, inside she’s pretty serious. She served as a nurse during the Great War and saw things she will never be able to forget. 9. Holly Olmstead, Tennis Champion * Holly Olmstead is a professional tennis player. She’s haughty and competitive.



Male or Female Roles 1. Win Wallace, Accountant Win is the accountant for many of the guests. S/he’s reserved but knowledgeable. 2. Elliot Nash, Jazz Pianist Elliot is a talented jazz pianist who often performs at the club. S/he is cool, calm, and collected. 3. Charlie Chambers, Jazz Bassist * Charles is a talented jazz bassist who often performs at the club. He is obsessed with all things jazz. 4. Brett Burgess, Waiter *



17



Brett is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway. 5. Regan Richards, Waiter * Regan is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway. 6. Alex Preston, Actor * Alex Preston was once on track to stardom, but alcohol got the better of him/her. Note: During the second stage of the evening, the guest who played the nowdeceased Club Owner will take on the role of Cecil Ripley, a private investigator.



18



-3Preparations As Host or Hostess, it is your responsibility to ensure that the mystery unfolds smoothly, that everyone is involved in the event, and that the location is set up in a fashion that lends itself to the story. While the party is designed to accommodate straight-from-the-box play with a minimum of setup and expense, you will find that a little bit of preparation will go a long way towards improving the overall experience. This section of the instruction manual should give you some ideas regarding how to set up your party.



Props While all the items that you need to play (invitations, nametags, character sheets, clues, voting sheets and player awards) are included in this booklet for easy printing, more flavor can be added to the evening by taking a little extra time in preparing these necessities. Some possible suggestions include the following: Invitations: Printing out the invitations on high-quality stationary, vellum, or cardstock adds a touch of class and authenticity to your event. Nametags: Most office supply stores carry a wide variety of plastic ID badge holders that are ideal for party nametags. Character Sheets: These can be printed on plain paper. It is a good idea to have duplicates prepared in advance, as players have been known to misplace their starting materials. Clues: The clue tokens are one of the more important pieces of the game since they comprise the most substantial portion of the scavenger hunt. Depending on how difficult you want the scavenger hunt to be, you might consider printing the clues on brightly colored cardstock in order to draw attention to their location. Alternatively, you can print them on lighter paper and then fold them up and hide them inside plastic Easter eggs. Player Awards: High-quality certificate paper is available at most office supply stores. Printing your player awards on this type of paper will give your guests a memento suitable for framing and display!



19



Menu Food options are wide open, but keep it formal and classy. Alcohol will be key to the theme. In an era of Prohibition, it would probably be the case that regular brands of alcohol would not be sold. Perhaps cover labels on your drinks. New labels with “black market” names might be fun. As always, check out Playing With Murder on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest; we frequently offer interesting and unique menu suggestions, decorating tips, and other material designed to help you craft the ultimate party atmosphere.



Setting the Scene Jazz Age Jeopardy is designed to be played in two acts, with Act One being the part of the evening spent in the main stage and dining area of the jazz club, and Act Two being the time spent in the back corridor after the murder has occurred. It is recommended that you have two distinct playing areas (one for each act), but if that is not feasible, you can always change over the playing area during the intermission. In any case, it is important that you have a sufficiently large area in order to keep the scavenger hunt portion of the evening challenging. If you have a way of configuring your space to have a stage area, a dining area, a dance area and a crime scene area, that would be ideal. Several small tables rather than one or two large ones could contribute to a dinner club feel. It’s fine for the “staff” characters to eat during the meal portion of the evening, but they should be given their own table. Decorations for the evening can be as simple or complex as you desire. An Internet search will yield many ideas. Art deco style is appropriate. Reproductions of vintage movie posters and playbills could add a nice touch.



Audio PWM Press offers several audio files for use with each of its mystery parties. The most recent versions of these files (along with an instruction sheet that describes how to best make use of them) were included with your original download.



20



A few of the characters are musicians, but there’s no need for them to actually perform. A club such as this should have a full band, which can be simulated with recorded music of the era. The musicians can act as though they are soloists “on break” during most of the evening. The following artists could be appropriate for background music and dance music: W.C. Handy, early Louis Armstrong, Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, and Jerome Kern.



Costumes An Internet search will yield ample information on 1920s fashion. What follows are general suggestions, which you can share with your guests, should you wish, using the “Costume Suggestions” insert provided in Section III. Some of the characters have specific costume instructions on their character sheets, but everyone should have a 1920s look. General costume ideas, men: • Suits • Tuxedoes • Striped sports coats • Ties • Hats (top hat, homburg hat, fedora) • Pants a bit short so that socks show • Cuffed trousers General costume ideas, women: • Flapper dresses: loose-fitting, drop waist, knee length or shorter (but not too short), calf length is fine too, uneven or asymmetrical hemlines • Bare-limb look • Flesh-colored stockings (to keep bare-limb look); stockings with patterns • Mary Janes • Fringe, feathers, boas, sequins • Long strings of beads • Art deco jewelry • Short hair (for long-haired players, perhaps try a wig or an up-do that simulates shorter hair) • Cloche hats • Hair wraps • Clutch bag



21



• • •



Long cigarette holders (nonsmokers could use as a prop only) Wrapover coats Fur collars



Preparing the Paperwork Have all of your paperwork printed out and ready to go beforehand. Begin by printing out all of Section II (the Party Guidebook). You will be using that section to run the party. You should also prepare three large envelopes or folders as follows: First Folder (labeled “Act One”): This should include nametags and character sheets for each player, along with multiple copies of the “Welcome to the Party” text. If you prefer to read from script cards instead of directly from the Party Guidebook, you may also print out copies of the “Dinner Ends” text. As players arrive, you can then pass out their starting materials. Second Folder (labeled “Act Two”): This should include sealed envelopes, labeled with each character’s name, containing the character’s information for Act Two. This folder should also contain the clue tokens (assuming these have not been hidden ahead of time). If you prefer to read from script cards instead of directly from the Party Guidebook, you may also print out copies of the “A Terrible Discovery!” text, the “Suspect Interrogations” text, and the “Presentation of Evidence” text. Third Folder (labeled “Finale”): The final folder should contain the voting sheets and preprinted award certificates that can be filled out when winners are decided.



22



-4Before the Party This portion of the instruction manual will walk you through all of the steps you need to accomplish before your guests begin arriving.



Invitations and Assigning Characters Print out and send your invitations (along with the RSVP cards and the “What Is a Mystery Party?” “Costuming Suggestions,” “Jazz Age Vocabulary,” and “Guest List” inserts) several weeks in advance of your event. The success of the party hinges on having a minimum of fifteen participants (not including the Host or Hostess) so it is very important that you verify attendance well before the actual event takes place; this will give you an opportunity to reschedule in the event that not enough players are able to attend. Note that there are two types of RSVP cards available in the Props and Printouts chapter (Chapter Seven): the first type allows the Host or Hostess to choose the character the guest will be playing, and the second type provides an option for guests to indicate their character preference. Which type of RSVP card you use will be determined by how you want to assign characters. You have two options when it comes to assigning characters. You can assign characters yourself based on what you know about your guests and what roles you think they would enjoy, or you can allow your participants to choose their own characters on a first-come, first-serve basis. We recommend that you choose to assign characters yourself (perhaps after discussing the available options with your players so that you can get a feel for what they would enjoy playing). This allows you to assign roles in a fashion that will keep the party running smoothly and be enjoyable for all involved; for example, you may not want to assign the Felix Fontano character to someone who is particularly shy and introverted, since they are likely to feel uncomfortable in such a center-stage role.



23



If you opt to assign characters yourself, your invitation process should be as follows: •



•



•



Step One: Contact prospective guests by phone, e-mail, or in person, explain that you will be hosting a Mystery Party, and verify their interest and availability. If you wish, you may choose to discuss the available character options so that you have a good idea of what type of character each guest would like to play. Step Two: Once you have established your guest list, print out and send the formal invitations, along with the “What Is a Mystery Party?” insert, the “Guest List” insert, and the first RSVP card (Note that a customizable version of this card with a field that you can use to specify what character the guest will be playing is included in the Customizable Documents file that was included with your purchase). Step Three: When you receive final confirmation via RSVP, send the guest his or her Act One character sheet along with the “Costuming Suggestions” and “Jazz Age Vocabulary” insert. If you wish, you may instead choose to include the character sheet along with the original invitation; this works best if you know for certain that each person you are inviting will definitely be attending.



If you opt to allow your guests to choose their own characters, your invitation process should be as follows: •



•



•



Step One: Print out and send invitations to all of your prospective guests, along with the “What Is a Mystery Party?” insert, the “Guest List” insert, and the second RSVP card (this version includes an option for guests to indicate their first and second character preferences). Step Two: As you receive the RSVP cards, assign the characters based on the preferences your guests have expressed. In some cases it may be necessary to assign a character other than the guest’s first or second choice (if both those characters have already been assigned); in this case you may wish to contact the guest and tell him or her which characters are still available. Step Three: Send each guest his or her Act One character sheet and the “Costuming Suggestions” and “Jazz Age Vocabulary” inserts.



Remember: Once you have assigned characters, you must provide each guest with a copy of the first page of their character sheet. This should be done well in advance of the party, so that each guest has time to put together a costume and give some thought to how they will role-play their character. Be sure to let the guests know that they should not share details of their character with anyone prior to the party! Guests should be told to bring their character sheets with them to the party, but as Host or Hostess, you should make certain to have additional copies of these character sheets on hand, since it is likely that some guests will lose or forget theirs.



24



Note: As Host or Hostess your role in this event will be that of the Narrator rather than an active player. While it would be possible for you to take on the role of one of the actual characters, you will almost undoubtedly be too busy running the event and keeping things on course to spend much time acting out the role of your character.



Preparing the Scavenger Hunt A substantial portion of the night’s festivities will involve a scavenger hunt to find the various clues in the research lab. Locating these objects and pieces of information (represented by paper tokens with a description or picture of the items) should take up a fairly substantial portion of the evening. It is important that you set up the scavenger hunt in a way that will ensure that the players are challenged but do not find it impossible to locate the objects necessary to make the event progress. Assuming that you will be playing Act Two in a location separate from Act One, it is best to hide the scavenger hunt items before the guests begin arriving at the event. If this is not feasible (because you are running Act One and Act Two in the same area), then it will be necessary to take a brief intermission between the acts so that you can hide the items. If this is to be the case, it is very strongly suggested that you decide in advance where you will be hiding the items; this will save time during the party itself. Ideally you will have a single, large area (a yard, a basement, an attic, a spacious living room, etc.) in which to hold the scavenger hunt. It is a good idea to have clearly delineated borders for the hunt in order to keep your guests on the right track. Clues can be hidden in a variety of places, but keep in mind that it is necessary for all of the clues to be found in order for the mystery to be solved. Also keep the following points in mind: 1. The scavenger hunt represents the guests’ efforts to search the crime scene for clues, but it is only representative. Just because a particular clue includes a description of where it was located does not mean that you actually have to hide it there; for example, while the “IOU” clue description notes that the voucher was found in victim’s pocket, you can actually hide the clue token itself anywhere you choose.



25



2. Remember that all seven of the clues need to be found; if guests are unable to locate a particular clue, you will want to be ready to nudge them in the right direction. Remember to be clear with your guests regarding the rules of the scavenger hunt. If there are places that are specifically off-limits, point that out to the players and consider posting signs reminding them. Some good general rules for everyone to follow include: 1. Nothing is hidden inside something that needs to be disassembled in order to gain access; if you really feel that a hammer and screwdriver would be helpful in trying to get at a potential token, you’re looking in the wrong place! 2. No tokens are hidden in a way that would require anyone to lift anything heavy or move anything especially delicate in order to find them. 3. No tokens are hidden in places that would be dangerous to reach or that would require guests to climb onto something. 4. No tokens are hidden in places that would require guests to get wet or dirty in order to reach them. Of course, these rules may be adjusted based on the specific circumstances of your party; if you plan on holding the scavenger hunt outside and want to hide tokens in trees, for example, you may wish to modify rule three. Some suggested hiding places for the tokens include: • • • • • • •



Taped to walls, book cases, or cabinets Slipped into books or magazines, with a part of the token sticking out Placed under rugs Placed under or between cushions in easy chairs or sofas Taped to the underside of kitchen chairs or tables Stuck to the refrigerator with magnets Placed in the foliage of potted plants



26



II. Party Guidebook Section II of this instruction manual contains a detailed script for running the party. You should print out Section II in its entirety and have it on hand during the party; at various points you will need to read directly from this guidebook. The following is an outline of each step of the party; detailed descriptions of each section follow: • • • • • • • •



Guest Arrival: This section explains what you will need to do as the guests arrive for the party, before the actual game begins. Introduction to the Guests: This section provides a script for introducing the guests to the scene and explaining how the party will be run. Act One: Act One covers the events leading up to the murder, including mingling and dinner. Intermission: There will be a brief intermission after dinner concludes and while you prepare for Act Two. Act Two: Act Two covers the discovery of Felix Fontano’s murder, the scavenger hunt, and the interrogation of the guests. Presentation of Evidence: Once the scavenger hunt has concluded, the guests will have an opportunity to consider the different pieces of evidence they have gathered and present theories on the identity of the killer. Votes: After all of the evidence has been considered, the guests will have the opportunity to vote on who they believe is responsible, as well as on which guests were the best dressed and the best at acting. Revelation: Finally, once the votes have been tallied, the actual killer will explain his actions, and awards will be handed out.



27



-5Running the Party This portion of the instruction manual will walk you through all of the steps you need to follow once your guests arrive. Read over this section carefully as it contains information vital to the success of the event.



Guest Arrival Starts: When first guest arrives. During this stage of the event, you should: Make certain that everyone has a visible nametag. Make certain that everyone has a copy of their character sheet. Tell guests to keep their character info secret. Allow them to mingle until everyone else has arrived.



Introduction to the Guests Starts: When all guests have arrived. During this stage of the event, you should: Gather guests in the main room and read "Welcome to the Party" text (below) to explain basic framework of the event. Tell the guests which characters aren't in attendance and instruct them to ignore references to those characters on their character sheets. Answer any questions regarding the introduction.



28



Welcome to the Party Script 1: To be read by the Host or Hostess after all of the guests have arrived but before the event officially begins. Welcome, everyone, and thank you for attending Jazz Age Jeopardy. As all of you know, this is a murder mystery party. During the party, you will be playing the roles of staff, entertainers, and guests at a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City. Each of you has a character sheet that details special knowledge that your character has, along with certain instructions for ways that your character should respond to specific situations. Aside from these instructions and the general role-playing tips on your character sheets, there is no particular script that you need to follow; simply do your best to act as you believe your character would act. During the course of the evening, I will be playing the part of the Narrator; I will not be taking on a particular role but will rather be explaining what is happening as the night unfolds. Let me describe the scene for you. It is the height of the Jazz Age, and social revolution is afoot. Furthermore, this is the age of Prohibition—and of bootleggers and gangsters. Fashion, music, technology, and morals are all changing at a lightning pace. Club owner Felix Fontano, the son of successful bootlegger and crime boss Frank Fontano—and a successful businessman himself—is throwing this private party for a group of select friends. It is a night of revelry like many other nights of revelry enjoyed by this group of sophisticates, artists and hoodlums . . . until things go horribly wrong. Before we begin, we’ll give each of you a couple of minutes to read over your character sheet and handout and make sure you understand everything. Remember not to show your character sheet to anyone else and to be careful what information you end up sharing with other players. Some of you have secret information listed on your sheet that your character wouldn’t want disclosed to just anyone. [Once everyone has had a chance to read over their sheets, give them an opportunity to ask questions about how the game will work. Once all of their questions have been answered, continue with this script.]



29



You are now free to mingle with each other. Dinner will be served promptly at [insert time] p.m. [Optional, if you need help with service:] And now, if I could see Poppy Gebhardt, Calvin Carpenter, and the waiters [if these characters are in play] in the kitchen. [At this point you can take the character or characters helping with service into the kitchen and explain that part of their role tonight will be to assist with serving the food, bringing around appetizer trays, and keeping drinks refilled.]



Act One Starts: When all guests understand how the game will be played. Act One is relatively simple and is intended primarily as an opportunity for your guests to get into character, mingle, and enjoy the food. This act should last for approximately an hour, though that time may be adjusted up or down depending on how long it takes to eat and on how animated and in character your guests are. During this stage of the event, you should: Enlist the aid of Poppy Gebhardt, Calvin Carpenter, and guests playing the optional waiter characters to help serve dinner. [This part is optional. However, even if you don’t need help with service, Calvin Carpenter should be allowed to serve at least a few drinks, since serving drinks is such an integral part of his character. The waiters are optional characters with small parts. If someone is actually playing either of these roles, asking them to help with service will keep them more involved in the action.] Monitor the guests to make sure they seem to be enjoying themselves and aren’t running out of things to talk about. If conversation begins to slow substantially, you may wish to move on to the murder early. Prepare the dancing area, if you plan to dance. Place a speaker on “stage” and play some jazz tunes—to simulate the entertainment at a jazz dinner club. When you are ready to move on to Act Two, read aloud the “Dinner Ends” text, included below. Immediately after reading the “Dinner Ends” text, turn up the volume on the music a bit. You want things to seem boisterous during the time when the murder is supposed to occur.



30



Dinner Ends Script 2: To be read by the Host or Hostess after Dinner, Near the end of Act One Now that dinner is over, let’s listen to some jazz and enjoy ourselves. Feel free to circulate around the room and mingle. [If you plan to dance:] There’s an area prepared for dancing. Loosen your ties and cut a rug!



Intermission Starts: After the dancing has gone on for a while (use your discretion with the timing.) This provides an opportunity to clear away the dishes and prepare for Act Two. During this stage of the event, you should: Announce to the guests that there will be a brief intermission. Inform the guests that during the intermission they can relax and just be themselves; they no longer need to be in character. Warn them that this means they should not talk about their character during this time. Give the guests their envelopes containing their character instructions and information for Act Two, but instruct them not to open them yet. If Act Two is to take place in the same room as Act One, ask the guests to move to another room while you prepare the murder scene and scavenger hunt. If you did not do so before the party, hide the clue tokens for the scavenger hunt. Take the guest playing Felix Fontano to a separate room and inform him that he is to be the victim of the night. He may open his character instructions for Act Two at this point. Felix should be found lying on the floor with a stab wound to the chest. You can use fake blood or a red cloth to simulate the wound. If he was wearing a hat, it should be removed, and



31



his hair should be mussed, to indicate a struggle and the fact that he endured a blow to the head. The area around Felix should be made to look disorderly, again to simulate a struggle. Let the guest playing Felix know that you have a trench coat and hat ready for him to change into after Felix’s body is found and he is dismissed from the room. Let him know where the new costume is. Tell the guest playing Poppy Gebhardt that he should be stationed near the entrance to the room containing the murder scene at the beginning of Act Two.



Act Two Starts: After Felix and Poppy are placed into position. When you are ready for the murder to be revealed, you should: Bring the guests together at the entrance to the room in which Act Two will take place and read aloud the “A Terrible Discovery!” text. After the “A Terrible Discovery!” text has been read, tell the guests to open their Act Two envelopes and review their new information before the scavenger hunt begins.



A Terrible Discovery Script 3: To be read by the Host or Hostess at the Beginning of Act Two [At this point, Poppy Gebhardt will give a speech from his character sheet, included here for your reference: “Holy smokes, are we in deep! I was going into the back rooms to check on our drink supplies, and I found an awful scene. Just awful. Felix is in there on the floor. Covered in blood. Someone has stabbed him. It looks like he fought hard, but he’s dead. As a doornail. Old Frank ain’t gonna be happy. Boy are we in trouble!” After Poppy’s speech, guide the guests to Felix’s body. Point out the wound, the disheveled hair, and the signs of a struggle. Make sure everyone gets a



32



good look. Then continue with the script.] Now, so that he can continue to play a part in the fun, [name of the guest playing Felix Fontano] will leave the room for a moment and return as another character. [Name of the guest playing Felix], please make your exit and rejoin us as quickly as possible. [If you wish to do so, now is the time to put a dummy or object in place of Felix’s body, to mark the location in which it was found. When the guest who played Felix reenters the room, now dressed as PI Cecil Ripley, continue with the script.] Please welcome to the scene private investigator Cecil Ripley. Let me point out that Cecil is not a suspect, and he’ll be a great help in the investigation. Cecil, could you tell us a little about who you are and how you came to be here? [Cecil will respond with the speech included on his character sheet for Act Two. It is included here for your reference: “I’m PI Cecil Ripley. You’ve probably heard of me because, well, hasn’t everybody? Anyway, I’ve been tailing Felix for a few weeks at the behest of old Frank Fontano. Frank loved Felix, yeah, and there will be hell for whoever did this, but Frank doesn’t trust anyone. Felix seemed to really be rolling in the dough, so Frank had me out there collecting dirt on Felix’s business dealings. You may wonder how I ended up at this party. Well, I had planned to get here much earlier in the evening, disguised as a waiter to continue my investigation. But I got caught up in another case. Missing young woman, frantic parents, you know the drill. Boy was I surprised to show up and find this scene. I’ve gotta say, there’s no way you folks should take this one to the cops. I’ve seen my share of this bootleggin’ mob lifestyle, and those guys are tight with the police. You’ll all end up as targets, embroiled in scandal, always watchin’ your backs. We better figure this one out right now. Seal the exits. We’d better get down to business. First things first: let’s take a closer look at this crime scene. If you find a clue, bring it back to me. We’ll collect them all and see where we stand.”]



33



Hunting for Clues Starts: After all guests have read and understand their Act Two instructions. During this stage of the event, you should: Have the guests move to whatever location will be used for the scavenger hunt (if it is different than the area they are currently in). Lay out any ground rules about areas that are on or off limits, and let the guests begin hunting. Let the guests know that some of the clues are actual objects, but that they will have paper tokens attached to them. Let the guests know the total number of clues (seven) that they are supposed to find. Oversee the scavenger hunt and make certain that everyone is following the rules and staying in the correct area. If the group is unable to locate one or more of the clues, provide hints or point them in the right direction. Make sure that all of the clues are collected in a central location and that all of the guests have a chance to look at them. Read the “Suspect Interrogations” text after all the clues have been collected and reviewed.



Suspect Interrogations Script 4: To be read by the Host or Hostess After All the Clues Have Been Gathered After combing through the area, you are certain that you’ve found everything there is to be found. You’ve examined the physical evidence. Now it’s time to find out if any of you know anything that could help solve this crime. Cecil, I’ll let you take the lead.



34



Suspect Interrogations Starts: After all the clues have been found and the guests have had a chance to examine and review them. At this point, Cecil will ask questions of several of the guests, using the instructions on his character sheet as a guide. The other guests should be allowed to ask follow-up questions. You may want to set up a chair for the interviewees. During this stage of the event, you should: Make certain that the guest playing Cecil Ripley follows the instructions on his character sheet to begin the interrogation; if he fails to do so, you may need to prompt him. Keep the interrogation process running smoothly and ensure that each character has an opportunity to answer the questions that Cecil Ripley poses and that the other guests have a chance to ask follow-up questions. When all of the characters have had a chance to speak, move on to the next section, “Final Presentation of Evidence.”



Final Presentation of Evidence Starts: After all characters have had a chance to answer Cecil Ripley’s questions and ask follow-up question of their own. It is now time for the final presentation of evidence. During this stage of the event, you should: Present to the group each of the clue tokens and read their descriptions Read aloud the “Presentation of Evidence” text (below)



35



Presentation of Evidence Script 5: To be read by the Host or Hostess once the Interrogations Have Concluded. Now that we’ve seen the hard evidence and heard what the interviewees had to say, does anyone have anything to add? Does anyone have any questions or theories? [Give everyone a chance to ask questions, make accusations or observations, and share relevant information. The physical clues should still be visible for consideration.] After reading, you should: Review all the evidence at hand, and give the guests a chance to talk amongst themselves. It is likely at this point that the guests will want to ask questions and level accusations at one another and provide themselves with alibis or explanations as to why they are not guilty, if they have not already done so during the suspect interrogations. Allow this to continue as long as is necessary. When all of the guests have had their say, announce that it is now time for everyone to cast their votes for who they believe the murderer is.



Votes Starts: After the presentation of evidence discussion. During this stage of the event, you should: Pass out the “Who Did It?” voting sheets and have players fill them out. Collect completed voting sheets and tally up the votes.



36



Prepare the award sheets. Note that customizable versions of the awards are included in the Customizable Documents file that came with your purchase. The awards that will be presented at the end of the night include the following. Note that not all of them are determined by voting. •



• • • • •



•



Keen Detective Award: This award goes to any guest who correctly identified Edgar Fitzpatrick as the killer. Note that it is possible that multiple guests will receive this award; be sure to have multiple copies printed. Outstanding Acting Award: This award goes to the guest who received the most votes for best role-playing. Outstanding Costume Award: This award goes to the guest who received the most votes for best costume. Outstanding Actor Award: This award goes to the guest who received the most votes for best actor. Falsely Accused and Convicted! Award: If the majority of the guests vote for someone other than Edgar Fitzpatrick as the killer, that unfortunate person receives this award as a consolation prize. Cold-Blooded Killer! Award or Got Away with Murder! Award: The guest who played Edgar Fitzpatrick will receive one of these awards. If the other guests successfully identified him during the vote, he gets “Cold-Blooded Killer.” If the other guests did not identify him as the killer, he gets “Got Away with Murder.” Hapless Victim Turned Expert Investigator Award: The guest who played Felix Fontano/Cecil Ripley will receive this award.



Revelation! Starts: After awards are prepared. During this stage of the event, you should: Announce the number of people that correctly identified the killer (without revealing his name). Ask that the real killer step forward and explain his or her motive. The guest who played Edgar Fitzpatrick will then announce his guilt and explain his actions using the information from his character sheet. Announce the results of the voting to the group and hand out appropriate awards. And that’s it! The mystery is solved. You may tell your guests that the game has concluded and thank them for coming.



37



III. Printed Materials Section III of this instruction manual contains all of the materials that will need to be printed for the party. Included are nametags, character sheets, invitations, clues, player awards, and optional script sheets (which can be used in addition to or instead of the inline scripts included in Section II; the text of the scripts is identical).



38



-6Nametags and Character Sheets This section of the instruction manual has detailed character sheets and nametags for each of the characters. These sheets provide a description of the character, suggestions for costuming and role-playing, information that the character has at the beginning of the party, and information and notes that are relevant for Act Two. Remember that the sheets for Act Two should not be given to the guests until Act Two begins!



39



Felix Fontano



Edgar Fitzpatrick



Club Owner



Broadway Producer



Raymond Reynolds



Jefferson Mitchell



Artist



Stockbroker



Roger Webster



Duke Carillo



Attorney



Track Owner



Poppy Gebhardt



Calvin Carpenter



Club Manager



Bartender



Ronald Mason



Edith Fontano



Doctor



Club Owner’s Wife



June Palmetto



Judy Jordan



Actress



Flapper



Claudia Mitchell



Gloria Call Singer



Writer



Jacqueline Jacobs



Ella Landeau



Fashion Designer



Flapper



Bess Bailey Flapper



Holly Olmstead Tennis Champion



Win Wallace



Win Wallace



Accountant



Accountant



Elliot Nash



Elliot Nash



Jazz Pianist



Jazz Pianist



Charlie Chambers



Charlie Chambers



Jazz Bassist



Jazz Bassist



Brett Burgess



Brett Burgess



Waiter



Waitress



Regan Richards



Regan Richards



Waiter



Waitress



Alex Preston



Alex Preston



Actor



Actress



Felix Fontano Club Owner



Act One



Who You Are



You are Felix Fontano, owner of The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. You are an attractive and vain, yet charming, man, and you do not lack confidence. Although you value family and loyalty, marriage did not dampen your penchant for womanizing. You also like to spend time at the tracks and card tables. You are almost always calm and cool, but at the right provocation, you have a fiery temper. You have been known to drink too much. In addition to owning this club, you have many other business interests, legitimate and not so much. You like to invest money in pet projects. Your father, Frank Fontano, is a well-known and much-feared bootlegger and crime boss. You have made investments with profits from your own share of the business, and these have brought you great wealth. This club is one of many that you own. You are married to Edith Fontano. When you met, she was a beautiful, mild-mannered girl who catered to your every need and whim. She is still a great beauty, but her disposition has changed through the years. She now has a cynical, hard edge, perhaps brought about by your own bad behavior. She probably would have left you years ago if she weren’t so dependent on your money, which you strategically bestow and withhold in order to keep her under your sway. You love her still, or at least you love the power you have over her. You recently discovered that she is having an affair with Broadway producer Edgar Fitzpatrick. You had promised Edgar financial backing for an upcoming play, but you have threatened Edith and Edgar that if they do not end their affair, you will retract the offer. You were a little less than discreet when you unleashed your temper on Edgar. You cornered him at a party at attorney Roger Webster’s posh mansion just last week. Others may have overheard bits and pieces of your rant. You regret this. You don’t like others to see you lose your cool. And you certainly don’t want to advertise your wife’s infidelity. Both things make you seem weak.



Appearance and Behavior



You should dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You should look well heeled and polished—perhaps even to an extreme. A tux would not be inappropriate. As you are the owner of the club, you should have a commanding presence in the room. You are not the club manager, so you are not tasked with directing



staff, but still, everyone in the room should sense that you are really the one in charge of everything. Mingle and be charming (mostly).



Instructions for Act One •



•



•



• • •



•



Track owner Duke Carillo owes you money. He’s given you an IOU voucher for his racetrack as partial payment and to buy some time. Normally you’d want cold, hard cash, but Duke is an old family friend, and you’re looking forward to some freebies at the track. If he asks you where you stand, tell him you’re satisfied, for now. You had an affair with the actress June Palmetto, whom you dumped. She has remained a part of your social circle because of her friendship with your wife. Try to get a moment alone with her and apologize for having ended things so abruptly. Tell her it had nothing to do with Judy. Judy Jordan is the younger woman you’re seeing now. At first she was a breath of fresh air, but now she’s becoming something of a drag. She seems to think you’re going to leave your wife for her. If she mentions this to you at any time, laugh it off, roll your eyes, and ask her to bring you a drink. If Edgar Fitzpatrick tries to interact with you in front of others, be nice. You want others to forget about the incident at Roger’s house. And maybe your chummy behavior will freak Edgar out. When you are in the company of your wife, dote on her. Keep up the appearance of a happy marriage, even if she rebuffs you. You suspect that someone is having a PI tail you. You’re especially suspicious of any new staff members at the club. You asked Poppy about new hires yesterday. He didn’t take too kindly to your questioning. He’s a strange old codger sometimes, but he’s trustworthy. If you happen to talk to him, apologize for having stepped on his toes. You aren’t really sorry, but you want to keep peace with him. You recently asked stockbroker Jefferson Mitchell to invest in your black market dealings, but you called the partnership off. His wife Claudia has muckraking tendencies and can’t be trusted. And Jefferson can’t be trusted not to confide in Claudia.



Felix Fontano/Cecil Ripley



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Surprise! You are the victim of the murder. The host will provide instructions on where and in what state you should be found at the beginning of Act Two. After your body is found, there will be a short interlude during which you should leave the room and quickly transition into your new character, PI Cecil Ripley. The host will provide you with a hat and trench coat to help you look the part. When you return to the room in your new guise, you will give the following speech: “I’m PI Cecil Ripley. You’ve probably heard of me because, well, hasn’t everybody? Anyway, I’ve been tailing Felix for a few weeks at the behest of old Frank Fontano. Frank loved Felix, yeah, and there will be hell for whoever did this, but old Frank doesn’t trust anyone. Felix seemed to really be rolling in the dough, so Frank had me out there collecting dirt on Felix’s business dealings. You may wonder how I ended up at this party. Well, I had planned to get here much earlier in the evening, disguised as a waiter. But I got caught up in another case. Missing young woman, frantic parents, you know the drill. Boy was I surprised to show up and find this scene. I’ve gotta say, there’s no way you folks should take this one to the cops. I’ve seen my share of this bootleggin’ mob lifestyle, and those guys are tight with the police. You’ll all end up as targets, embroiled in scandal, always watchin’ your backs. We better figure this one out right now. Seal the exits. We’d better get down to business. First things first: let’s take a closer look at this crime scene.” At this point, a scavenger hunt for clues will occur. After the clues have been collected and reviewed, the party host will read a script prompting you to conduct suspect interrogations. One at a time, you should ask the guests the following questions. Allow other guests to ask follow-up questions. • Are you right-handed or left-handed? • You didn’t like Felix, did you? What was your beef with him? • Do you know of any reason anyone else here would have wanted Felix dead? • Given what has taken place and the physical evidence we’ve collected, do you have any information that seems relevant to this investigation? Since you were Felix Fontano in Act 1, you have a lot of information that others here may not have. You will need to refrain from adding your own knowledge to the discussion as the other guests attempt to solve the mystery.



Edith Fontano Club Owner’s Wife



Act One



Who You Are



You are Edith Fontano née Haverford, the beautiful wife of Felix Fontano, owner of The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. You have been married to Felix for over a decade, and during that time you have become hardened and cynical, even though this is not your natural state. Deep down, you still believe in true love, but you have suffered through years of Felix’s infidelity, and it has changed your demeanor for the worse. Some would call you spiteful and hateful. But those who truly know you know that you actually have a kind and generous spirit. You come from a respectable family that has fallen on hard times. You depend on Felix’s money not only for your own jet-setting lifestyle but also for the welfare of your aging parents. You stay in a loveless marriage for noble reasons. You are a lover of the arts, and you lobby your husband to support worthy projects. He obliges you out of guilt. You met Edgar Fitzgerald, the Broadway producer, at an arts benefit several months ago. The two of you hit it off. You shared the same taste in film, music, and art, and you had a natural rapport. Soon after you met, you began a passionate affair, which you were able to keep a secret from your husband until very recently. You always took care to meet at out-of-the-way places—remote theaters and seedy hotels, places that people in your circle would never frequent. He’s so sweet. He likes to save little mementoes from these outings together. You were even able to introduce Edgar to Felix, as a friend from the arts community. It didn’t take long for Felix to be impressed by Edgar’s brilliance and enthusiasm. He promised to finance Edgar’s current musical, a comic masterpiece about a gang of bootleggers and the police who chase them. You were so happy for Edgar. Unfortunately, just last week, Felix found out about you and Edgar. He has given Edgar an ultimatum: break things off with you or loose the financing. Edgar has been stalling. Of course he’ll choose you, right? If only you could be free of Felix and the stranglehold of this marriage. If only you could be free but still have the money, you’d give Edgar everything and more.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You are beautiful but cold. Go for a stark look. Black would be appropriate. Be gracious to your guests, snippy with the staff, and cold to Felix. Try to look strained and concerned from time to time.



Instructions for Act One •



• •



If Felix shows you any affection, recoil and walk away. You’ll stand beside him as hostess, but you’ll go no further. It’s no secret that Judy Jordan is Felix’s girl of the moment. You think she’s rather harmless, but you do resent her a little. Don’t be very nice to her. June Palmetto is a good friend. She actually had an affair with Felix as well, which she confessed to you, full of remorse. Felix dumped her rather harshly, and the ill treatment engendered a sense of solidarity between you. You’ve told June about Edgar and about the ultimatum.



Edith Fontano



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two Felix has been murdered! Who could have done this? Will the others suspect you? Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must all work together to identify the murderer and turn him or her over to your father-in-law, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • In the past several months, you and Edgar have been to several off-thebeaten-path shows together, among them the vaudeville extravaganza, The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show. • Edgar told you that he has train tickets to Philly for later this evening, to attend to some business. Then he’s going to Bermuda on pleasure. He asked you to join him there next week. • You remember admiring a broach at Tiffany’s, but you don’t remember who you were with the day you saw it—Felix or Edgar. • You are the sole beneficiary of Felix’s estate. • You told June that you would love it if Felix were out of your life but you kept all his money. Women have come a long way lately—what with getting the right to vote and all—but they still don’t get a fair shake when it comes to divorce. If you left Felix, there no way you’d get enough to support your lifestyle and your parents. You wistfully said you wished you could find another way. • If Edgar turns against you, try to implicate him. • You know that Edgar is left-handed. If he tries to claim otherwise, call him out on his lie. • You are right-handed.



Edgar Fitzpatrick Broadway Producer Who You Are



Act One



You are Edgar Fitzpatrick, an up-and-coming Broadway producer. Currently, you’re working with a talented young songwriting duo to produce a musical comedy about a group of rough but likeable bootleggers and the hapless cops chasing them—all in the new jazz style. You think it has the potential to be a smash hit—your big break. You are having a passionate affair with Edith Fontano. You met her at an arts benefit several months ago, and the two of you have been sneaking around together ever since—to out-of-the-way vaudeville shows (a favorite was The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show), to seedy hotels and secret apartments, to anywhere you thought you wouldn’t be noticed. Edith introduced you to her husband Felix, the wealthy club owner and son of famous mobster Frank Fontano. Felix, unaware of your affair with his wife and impressed by your ideas and enthusiasm, promised to finance your musical. Things seemed to be going swimmingly, until last week when, at a party at Roger Webster’s house, Felix confronted you. Someone had tipped him off about the affair, and he was livid. He gave you an ultimatum: break off your affair with Edith or lose his backing for your production. You’ve been trying to make this tortuous decision, and you’ve decided you just can’t. You must have it all: Edith and the play. If only Felix were out of the picture, if only Edith controlled the money, if only . . . Felix has kept you on the invite list for this party only to save face. Given your presence at so many of his gatherings in recent months, your absence would be conspicuous. Felix does not like to appear flustered, threatened, or weak. He will act as though nothing has changed. You should act the same way. You haven’t made a decision yet about whether to break things off with Edith or not. Because Felix threatened to withdraw his offer if the affair became public, you must continue to hide it. You have train tickets to Philly for later this evening, to attend to some business, after which you’ll be sailing to Bermuda, for pleasure. Edith says she will make arrangements to join you, for some time together away from prying eyes. You have a spectacular gift to give her when you get there—a fabulously ornate broach you noticed her admiring during a stroll through Tiffany’s. You hope that you will be prepared to give Felix a decision when you return from your trip.



Appearance and Behavior



You should dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You are an ambitious man, and greatness seems within your grasp. Speak with confidence. Talk a lot about your current musical. Feel free to discuss other projects as well. Be very enthusiastic. Much of your past success has depended upon your ability to persuade others of your talent and to convince them to finance your projects. In your conversations, offer compliments to make others feel good about themselves. Then maybe they’ll be more likely to help you in a time of need. You never know when allies could come in handy.



Instructions for Act One • • •



•



• •



Try to steal moments alone with Edith, but do so discreetly. You don’t want others to suspect an affair. Edith knows about Felix’s ultimatum, and she is waiting for your decision. Avoid giving her a straight answer. Since Felix has threatened to cut off funds, feel out other guests for financial backing. Jefferson Mitchell, the stockbroker, and Roger Webster, the lawyer, might be possibilities. Also consider going to Claudia Mitchell. Ask Roger Webster for legal advice, but say it is a hypothetical case. If someone is threatening to not give you money unless you do something they want, is that extortion? Or blackmail, perhaps? Be careful not to give him any details. This is a hypothetical case! If he probes for details, say that a friend asked you to ask him this, but the friend didn’t give you any details. If Gloria or any of the actors or musicians other than June asks you for a part in your musical, try to let them down easy. You don’t think they’re a good fit, and you don’t even know if the production is going to happen now. If June Palmetto asks for a role in your musical, act flattered (because you are—she’s a star!). Tell her that if the show goes on, she’s a shoe-in. Mention to a few guests that you have a “special gift for a special lady” and you’re hoping to give it to her soon.



Edgar Fitzpatrick



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed and you are the murderer! Everyone you approached during the first part of the evening rejected your requests for financing. And Edith wouldn’t stop badgering you. You decided to go out back for some fresh air while the others were dancing. You were feeling quite desperate when you happened upon Felix in the back corridor. He asked you if you had made a decision yet. Then he said you had until the end of the night. A sudden impulse overtook you. You remembered the half-drunk bottle of gin in your hand and hit Felix on the head with it. You aren’t a man of the street, and you were acting out of a sudden passion. The efficacy of the blow suffered on both counts. A struggle ensued. You managed to finish Felix off by using the broken bottle to stab him in the chest. Sure, you had thought of doing this before, if only fleetingly. With Felix out of the picture, Edith would be in control of a fortune. And she had said that if only she had access to Felix’s money, she would finance your current project and many more in the future. But the risks involved were so great, with Felix being the son of Frank Fontano, that you hadn’t considered murder a serious option, at least not until that moment this evening, in the back room. The other guests were dancing, the music was loud, you had a train ticket out of the city, and you thought you had a clear getaway path. In the heat of the moment, you thought you could get away with murder. Now you fear you were sorely mistaken. Just as you were about to head for the door, you heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the exit. Old Poppy Gebhardt must have been checking the booze supplies in the storeroom. You had to dust yourself off and slip back into the party. Luckily, you managed to not get blood all over your clothes. You are stuck here now. And you are beginning to panic as you realize all the mistakes you made in the heat of the moment. You seem to have lost a few items from your pockets during the struggle—a playbill from that vaudeville show you saw with Edith, a pocket watch, the package from Tiffany’s. And you left the murder weapon behind. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. Prepare yourself. You must maintain your innocence at all costs!



Tips for the Second Act •



Overall you are a likeable guy. Use the connections you made during Act One to try to gain allies.



•



•



•



• • •



PI Cecil Ripley will ask if you are left-handed. You will say no. But at least two other characters, including Edith, will say that they know that you are. At this point, you’ll look suspicious to deny it, so tell them that you are ambidextrous. It’s not true, but maybe it will satisfy them and divert their attention a bit. If anyone deduces your motive—that you wanted Felix’s wife and his money—downplay your attachment to Edith, say why would you kill the man who was promising to back your play, and claim that you have other means of financing the production anyway. If anyone mentions the argument you had with Felix at Roger Webster’s house, be nonchalant about it. Act like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Say that the two of you had artistic differences about the upcoming musical but that you worked them out. If anyone says they saw you and Edith at a vaudeville show, deny it. If you were having an affair, why would you risk being seen in public together? If the evidence of your relationship with Edith becomes too great to deny, call the affair a passing fling. Besides, you didn’t think it was a big deal. Everyone knew that Felix had women on the side. If Edith turns against you, try to implicate her. She was miserable in her marriage and most people knew it. She’s the beneficiary of the estate. She has a lot to gain from Felix’s death.



Final Speech



At the end of the evening, you and your fellow guests will vote on who you think the murderer is. Of course, don’t vote for yourself. At some point, after the votes are tallied, your identity as murderer will be revealed. You will be asked to explain your motive and how you did it. Do this in your own words, using the information given above.



June Palmetto Actress



Act One



Who You Are



You are the actress June Palmetto, a southern belle in the big city. You are well loved by your fans and your friends, and rightly so. You’re the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas, a real knockout. You spent some time in Hollywood, but you have such a fabulous voice, a few years ago you decided to ditch the silent films and move to New York to try your talents on Broadway. You’ve been a rousing success. You love to talk about the roles that you’ve played. You are confident and flirtatious in a sophisticated way—not obvious and desperate like those young flappers. Last year, you had an affair with club owner Felix Fontano. After several months of intimacy, he dumped you. You were angry at the time, but you’ve since gotten over it. You’re an independent woman, and you’ve moved on. Actually, the affair had a positive, unexpected consequence: the strengthening of your friendship with Edith Fontano. You confessed to her, full of remorse, and the ill treatment from Felix engendered a sense of solidarity between you. Edith has told you that she’s having an affair with Edgar Fitzgerald, the Broadway producer, and that Felix had planned to finance Edgar’s current project but found out about the affair and has given Edgar an ultimatum: choose her or the money. For Edith’s sake, you hope he doesn’t choose the money. But it’s not like Felix would let her go, would he? Anyway, best not to blabbing all this to the others. You can keep Edith’s secrets.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You should epitomize Hollywood glamour. Should you wish to do so, feign a southern accent.



Instructions for Act One • •



Flirt with Calvin Carpenter, then give him the brush-off. He’s so damn cocky. Maybe you can bring him down a notch. He’s the bartender, for crying out loud! Edgar is so excited about his new musical—a story about bootleggers, their lovers, and the police who chase them all—that he has you interested too. You hope the show goes on. Ask him if he has a role for you.



June Palmetto



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice. If you have to reveal secrets to protect someone you care about, that’s OK.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You are left-handed. • You were angry about having been dumped by Felix, but those feelings have subsided. If anyone brings up your former relationship with Felix and the grudge you may bear, insist that you’re completely over it. • Edith told you that Edgar has a sentimental streak and likes to save mementos from their outings together. • Edith told you that she would love it if Felix were out of her life but she kept all his money. But she’s sure Felix wouldn’t allow her enough out of a divorce to support her lifestyle and her aging parents. If only she could find another way . . .



Raymond Reynolds Artist



Act One



Who You Are



You are Raymond Reynolds, an aspiring artist but something of a dilettante. You come from old money and are an old college buddy of Felix Fontano, the owner of the club. You have an unconventional style of dress and behavior. You are a heavy drinker with a tendency toward paranoia. Since the passage of Prohibition, you have rekindled your friendship with Felix. You wouldn’t normally run with this circle, but as the son of Frank Fontano, the most successful bootlegger in New York, Felix has ready access to alcohol. You love your booze, and Felix’s parties have plenty of it. Although you spend most of your time at leisure, you have been working on some interesting paintings lately. And you have a potential buyer in Philadelphia. You’re planning a trip there in the coming days.



Appearance and Behavior



See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You are flagrantly individualistic and should stand out. Keep a Jazz Age flavor, but don’t be afraid to mix things up a bit. You are a strange mix of highbrow disdain and playful quirkiness. Turn your nose up a little, but also have some fun.



Instructions for Act One •



• •



Although none of them have said anything to your face, you get the sense that most of the others in this group think you’re an odd bird and that they only accept you because of your connection to Felix. They’re probably talking about you behind your back. Try to catch them in the act. Try to only interact with the few people here you respect: Claudia Mitchell, Ronald Mason, Charles Chambers. Felix is an old friend and your host, so don’t exclude him but also don’t seek him out. If anyone asks you about your art, tell them you’ve just finished a fabulous surrealist dreamscape, and you have a buyer in Philadelphia. You’re going there soon to seal the deal.



Raymond Reynolds



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • It is generally known that Felix and his wife led largely separate lives and that she is a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge. • If others try to attack you just because you don’t fit in, tell them to stop being bullies. Dressing differently does not make you a murderer. • You are right-handed.



Judy Jordon Flapper



Act One



Who You Are



You are Judy Jordan, the embodiment of a 1920s flapper. You are bubbly and flirtatious—the life of the party and one of the youngest guests. You love to dance, to stay out late, to live it up. And you are an undeterrable optimist. Felix Fontano has been your boyfriend for a few months now. You are totally in love. So is he, you think. He’ll leave his wife soon. You’re sure of it.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. Don’t be shy. Be skimpy. Have make-up in your purse and apply it in public, frequently. Flirt with the fellas. Be generally friendly and talkative.



Instructions for Act One • • •



Raymond Reynolds is such an oddball. He’s always saying and doing and wearing things that don’t make sense to you. Comment on this to everyone you meet, except Raymond. You know that Felix left June Palmetto just before he began seeing you. You hope June isn’t angry with you. You’d love to be friends with her. Stay close to Felix. Make sure he knows how much you care.



Judy Jordon



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix has been killed! Oh, how horrible! You are devastated! Now pull yourself together. You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • Felix and his wife led largely separate lives. She is a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge. • Felix had offered Edgar financial backing for his new musical, but you suspect something was amiss with that. • You are right-handed.



Jefferson MitchelL Stockbroker



Act One



Who You Are



You are Jefferson Mitchell, a very successful Wall Street stockbroker. You’re a serious guy, inside and out. You don’t enjoy silliness. Your wife, Claudia Mitchell, is a well-regarded author and proponent of women’s rights. She’s sharp as a tack and loyal to you. You know you can turn to her for advice in times of need. Your friend Felix Fontano, owner of The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club, recently approached you about getting into the black market. You were seriously considering the offer when Felix suddenly called it off. You’re rather angry about it, and you told Felix as much last night, but you can’t afford to alienate such a wealthy and powerful friend, so you managed to leave on good terms. You are surprised to see Edgar Fitzgerald here tonight. You thought he and Felix were on the outs. You saw them in a heated argument last week at Roger Webster’s party.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You are clean-cut and straight-laced, and your demeanor matches your appearance. Whenever you approach someone, stand erect, shake hands, and make eye contact. Don’t laugh at many jokes.



Instructions for Act One • •



•



If Edgar Fitzgerald asks you for money, refuse, refuse, refuse! He seems like a fast talker. Claudia mentioned a few days ago that she was interested in writing a journalistic expose on the plight of women and children in the bootlegging supply chain. She was more excited than you were about the possible deal with Felix. What an inside track! You haven’t told her that Felix called it off. If she asks you about it, tell her all is well but that the deal is top secret. She shouldn’t mention it to anyone, not even Felix. Don’t avoid Felix, but act nervous whenever he’s around.



Jefferson Mitchell



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You are right-handed. • Felix and his wife led largely separate lives. She is a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge. • You know that Edgar is left-handed.



Claudia W. Mitchell Writer



Act One



Who You Are



You are Claudia Warren Mitchell, well-regarded author and proponent of women’s rights. In fact, you played an active role in the women’s suffrage movement, and your labors paid off! It’s a glorious new age. Women can vote, wear short skirts, and dance the night away. Now if only the culture would accept a woman’s right to birth control. Your husband, Jefferson Mitchell, confides many things in you. Jefferson’s friend Felix Fontano, owner of The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club, recently approached him about getting into the black market. You don’t like Felix. He’s an unabashed, unapologetic womanizer. But this deal could be good for you. You’ve been thinking about writing a journalistic expose on the plight of women and children in the bootlegging supply chain. What an inside track! Recently, you attended a party at attorney Roger Webster’s house. When you and Jefferson were strolling on the patio, you saw and heard (from a distance) Felix and Edgar Fitzpatrick having a heated argument. You wonder what was amiss. Did they work it out? They’re both here tonight and appear to be getting along.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best; see “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. It’s fine to show some skin, but don’t go too far. You are dignified. Glasses would be a nice touch. You are a thoughtful woman with progressive viewpoints, and you aren’t afraid to share them. You have a dry sense of humor. You vaunt your own intelligence and question that of others. And you look down your nose at anyone who doesn’t seem interested in your high-minded conversation.



Instructions for Act One • • • •



If Edgar Fitzpatrick asks you for money, refuse, refuse, refuse! You’re intrigued by artist Raymond Reynolds. Ask him about his latest work. Roger Webster is an ambulance chaser. He may claim to serve the underdog, but he’s just after cash. Don’t let him forget it. Jefferson seems really anxious whenever Felix is around. Ask him if anything is wrong. Does it have something to do with their arrangement?



Claudia W. Mitchell



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • Felix and his wife led largely separate lives. She seems like a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge. • Felix definitely had business enemies that might benefit from his death, but this crime appears to have been personal. You suspect a crime of passion. • You are right-handed.



Roger Webster Attorney



Act One



Who You Are



You are Roger Webster, ambulance-chasing attorney. You have a staff of legal assistants who comb the streets of New York, seeking out victims for you to help. Anywhere there’s a fall, a tussle, a bicycle-accosted pedestrian, an automobilestricken cyclist, your guys are there. Right there in the muck. You’ve worked hard to attract the attention and gain the friendship of Felix Fontano, owner of this jazz club. You have an accident racketeering scheme in mind, and the Fontano clan are just the sort of connections you need when you’re venturing into any sort of not-so-savory business. As part of the your campaign to win over Felix and his friends, you’ve been hosting lavish parties at your Long Island home. In fact, you hosted one just last week, an allnight extravaganza that many of the guests here tonight attended. There was a loud altercation between Felix and Edgar Fitzgerald in your garden. No one heard the details, but they were obviously not happy with each other. You wonder if it had something to do with Edgar’s film. Felix had mentioned to you that he was planning to help Edgar with some of the production costs for his upcoming project. You suspect he may have withdrawn that offer. You also suspect that his wife is having an affair with Edgar. You’ve seen this sort of thing a lot in your line of work. Whatever the case, you will side with Felix. You’ve only known Edgar for a few months.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You have a dogged and argumentative personality. When others contradict you, you won’t back down. You like to win. Who cares if you’re right?



Instructions for Act One • •



•



If Edgar Fitzgerald asks you for money, refuse, refuse, refuse! He seems a little desperate. If Edgar Fitzgerald asks you for legal advice pertaining to a hypothetical case of extortion, tell him that if the case is as he puts it, no sane lawyer would take it. It’s not extortion if the person only threatens to withhold funds he hasn’t yet given to you. Sheesh! You want Felix’s friends to like you. Try to win over Claudia Mitchell. She’s something of a progressive muckraker. So you have something in common. You both care about the plight of the victim.



Roger WEbster



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You are left-handed. • If others direct accusations at you, use your skills as an attorney to redirect attention. If you are questioned, ask questions in response. • It is generally known that Felix and his wife led largely separate lives and that she is a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge.



Duke Carillo Track Owner



Act One



Who You Are



You are Duke Carillo, owner of Duke’s Track over in Jersey and old friend of the Fontano family. Since the passage of Prohibition, you’ve been very grateful for those ties. Try running a gambling operation without any booze. The Fontano bootlegging operation has managed to keep you in business. You’re concerned that you may be in a little trouble with Felix, which means you may be in trouble with Frank—and that your livelihood and your life might be in jeopardy. You owe Felix a lot of money. In a desperate attempt to buy some time, you sent him an IOU voucher to use at your track. You hope he’s a little pleased with that. You wonder why you were invited to this party. It can’t be good. Felix must want you to pay up.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. Give your costume a gangster edge by wearing your hat askew. Pin stripes and a brightly colored tie would be nice touches as well. You are shifty, figuratively and literally. Shift your weight around a lot. Don’t stand still. Frequently turn your head to scan everyone around you. During your conversations with people, avoid prolonged eye contact. You do have a talent for jokes, though, so don’t hesitate to tell a few if you wish.



Instructions for Act One • •



Try to get other characters to place casual bets with you. Raymond Reynolds is such an oddball. He’s always saying and doing and wearing things that don’t make sense to you. Supposedly he some sort of talented artist, but he seems like a flake to you. Make note of this in conversations with others. But don’t say anything about it to Raymond.



Duke Carillo



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You are left-handed. • Felix and his wife led largely separate lives. She seems like a bitter woman with a penchant for revenge.



Poppy Gebhardt Club Manager



Act One



Who You Are



You are Poppy Gebhardt, the no-nonsense manager of The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. You have a tight grasp on the day-to-day running of this place, and you don’t appreciate it when club owner Felix Fontano butts into your affairs. Just yesterday he was questioning you about some members of the wait staff. Sometimes Felix likes to conduct business in the club after hours, and sometimes you overhear that business. You see it as a perk of the job since sometimes the information you glean is worth a lot of dough to Felix’s rivals. You even know a bit about some of the guests at this party. For example, Felix had a business deal in the works with Jefferson Mitchell, but something went wrong. They were arguing about it in the club just last night. You also know that Duke Carillo owes Felix money.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. It would be appropriate for a staff member at such an event to wear formal attire: black suit, white shirt, black tie. You also have a cane. It’s stylish, but sometimes you actually need it. And the pain makes you grumpy. Bark orders. Be crotchety.



Instructions for Act One • • •



• •



The party host may call upon you to help serve food and drinks. Please oblige. You hired a waiter who has not shown up. Grumble about this incessantly. Raymond Reynolds is such an oddball. He’s always saying and doing and wearing things that don’t make sense to you. You’re sure he’d be out on the street if he didn’t come from money. Make note of this in conversations with the musicians. They’re staff. It wouldn’t be appropriate to talk to Felix’s guests about his friend, but boy, is he weird. Try to sell your secrets about Jefferson Mitchell and Duke Carillo. You believe Win Winston must have a lot of valuable information about your boss. Ask him what he knows. He may have a price, but you’re pretty sure you could turn any juicy tidbits around for a profit.



Poppy Gebhardt



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



You’ve found Felix Fontano’s bloody body! At the cue of your Host/Hostess, give the following speech: “Holy smokes, are we in deep! I was going into the back rooms to check on our drink supplies, and I found an awful scene. Just awful. Felix is in there on the floor. Covered in blood. Someone has stabbed him. It looks like he fought hard, but he’s dead. As a doornail. Old Frank ain’t gonna be happy. Boy are we in trouble!” You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • If it becomes useful, share what you know about Felix’s argument with Jefferson Mitchell. • If you haven’t already, disclose the fact that Duke owed Felix money.



Win Wallace Accountant



Act One



Who You Are



You are Win Wallace, accountant to many of the guests at this party, including club owner Felix Fontano. You value thrift and order, and you find this group to be wasteful and flashy. You are an accountant because that's what makes sense to you. You are attracted to things that make sense and uncomfortable around things that don't, which is why you have such poor luck with the opposite sex. You can't help noticing that people aren't always as concerned with accuracy as you are. In fact, conversations often seem to end before you've gotten others to realize their errors. You don’t really fit in with this group, but Felix likes to keep you close at hand. You are privy to much of his business, and he feels it is best to treat you as a friend.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. Don’t go overboard; you want to blend. You’re a responder, not an initiator. Be generally reserved, and almost timid around the opposite sex. But try to catch people making factual or grammatical errors and correct them. When you do speak, say “actually” a lot. Be sober when others are not.



Instructions for Act One • •



•



Raymond Reynolds is such an oddball. And so flashy. Artist, schmartist. If any of the other guests express a similar view, agree with them. But don’t bring it up yourself. You know lots of personal financial information about Felix. For example, you know that Felix has offered Edgar financial backing for his next Broadway production. And you know that Duke Carillo owes Felix money. A lot of money. If anyone tries to pump you for information, be tight-lipped. You can’t be bought. Refuse drinks when they are offered to you. You may manage the finances of some criminals, but you’re a rule follower in every other area of life.



Win Wallace



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You know that Edith is the beneficiary of the entirety of Felix’s estate. • You know that Felix offered to fund Edgar Fitzgerald’s next film project. • You suspect Poppy Gebhardt has been selling secrets about Felix to his enemies. • You are right-handed.



Gloria Call Singer



Act One



Who You Are



You are Gloria Call, talented jazz singer here at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. Poppy Gebhardt, club manager, asked you to come to this private party to perform. You’ll spend most of your time off-stage, though, mingling with the guests and eating dinner. You lost your fiancé during the Great War, and you are still saddened by that loss. When you aren’t drinking your cares away, you’re channeling your grief into song.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You’re a performer, so wear attire suitable for the stage. Sequins, bold colors, and dramatic makeup would all be appropriate. You enjoy the party atmosphere, but you can’t totally shake your melancholy. Have moments when you stare wistfully into space. Hum jazzy tunes to yourself.



Instructions for Act One • • • •



Ask Edgar Fitzgerald if he thinks there might be a part for you to play in his upcoming Broadway show. Tell him you’re not just a singer. You can dance too. Seek out other musicians. They’ll understand your passion for song. If any of the men act interested in you, tell them you still can’t let go of the memory of your sweet Russell. You don’t think there will ever be another man to take his place. If anyone mentions how weird they think Raymond is, say that you like his unique style.



Gloria Call



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You are right-handed. • You know that Poppy Gebhardt has been selling information about Felix to his enemies. • Being a member of a mob family is a dangerous business. It was probably only a matter of time before something like this happened.



Elliot Nash Jazz Pianist



Act One



Who You Are



You are Elliot Nash, an extraordinarily talented pianist who often plays at The Cat’s Meow’s Jazz Club. Not only do you have great talent, you have a great personality. People genuinely want to come to hear you play and spend time with you afterwards. The only constant in your life has been the piano. No matter what the rest of your world was like, those eighty-eight keys kept you centered and gave you a place to call home. Even today, you believe you have the piano to thank for your cool, calm, and collected demeanor.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. You should be well groomed, but with a slight rakishness. You don’t talk as much as you listen. You are the epitome of “still waters that run deep.” Whistle or hum from time to time.



Instructions for Act One • •



Seek out other musicians. They’ll understand your passion. Edgar Fitzpatrick is an up-and-coming Broadway producer. You’d like to break into a larger market. He may be your key to something bigger and better. Ask him about his new show, and press him for advice and connections.



Elliot Nash



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You saw Edith Fontano and Edgar Fitzgerald together at The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show. They were at an out-of-the-way theater, hoping to go unnoticed. You did not make yourself known to them. You didn’t think much of it until now. • You are right-handed.



Calvin Carpenter Bartender



Act One



Who You Are



You are Calvin Carpenter, bartender at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. You’re a cocky fellow, as sure of yourself around the ladies as you are when mixing cocktails. You’re happy with your life as a bartender. You get to meet interesting people, the pay is decent, and the women you meet are easy to pick up. What’s not to like? Poppy Gebhardt, the club manager, is your good friend. Club owner Felix Fontano has been meddling a bit lately, asking him questions about staffing. Poppy can’t stand that.



Appearance and Behavior



Dress in your Jazz Age best. See “Suggestions for Costumes” for ideas. It would be appropriate for the staff at such an event to wear formal attire: black suit, white shirt, black tie. But given your personality, you might want to spice things up a bit. In your conversations with the ladies, refer to them as “baby,” “doll,” and “dollface.” Flirt with self-assurance. If they don’t respond as you’d like, just move on to the next one. Work the room.



Instructions for Act One • • •



The party host may call upon you to help serve food and drinks. You are good friends with Poppy Gebhardt. Spend a lot of your time with him. Try to flirt with June Palmetto. She’s a movie star. Imagine that—you and a movie star! That would be quite a feather in your cap.



Calvin Carpenter



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You saw Edith Fontano and Edgar Fitzpatrick together at The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show. They were at an out-of-the-way theater, hoping to go unnoticed. You did not make yourself known to them. • One of the clues that is found is an unlabeled broken bottle. When you examine this clue, tell the group that you can tell by the smell that it is gin. You know that several guests were drinking gin tonight: Duke Carillo, Edgar Fitzpatrick, Jefferson Mitchell and Judy Jordan. • You are right-handed.



Calvin Carpenter



Act Two



Special Instructions for Act Two



Felix Fontano has been killed! You must work with the other guests to find the murderer in your midst. Taking this matter to the police would be messy and dangerous for all of you. You must identify the perp and turn him or her over to Felix’s father, crime boss Frank Fontano, for swift justice.



Knowledge



You know the following pieces of information that may be pertinent during the second act of the evening: • You saw Edith Fontano and Edgar Fitzgerald together at The Copeley Brothers’ Amazing Variety Show. They were at an out-of-the-way theater, hoping to go unnoticed. You did not make yourself known to them. • You are right-handed.



-7Props and Printouts This section of the instruction manual includes all of the additional materials you will need to print out for your party. Included are: •



• • • • •



Invitations, along with an abbreviated guest list (to help players in choosing their characters) and RSVP cards. You will need to print one invitation, one guest list, and one RSVP card for each person you plan to invite. Remember to stamp and address the RSVP cards. Note that customizable versions of the invitations and the first RSVP card are included in the Customizable Documents file that was included with your purchase. “Costume Suggestions” and “Jazz Age Vocabulary” inserts. These are to be sent to your guests with their Act One character sheets Tokens representing the clues that will be found during the scavenger hunt. You will need to print out one copy of each of these. Voting sheets for the end of the party. You will need to print out one voting sheet for each guest. Player awards. Note that customizable versions of the awards are included in the Customizable Documents file that was included with your purchase. Script cards that are to be read by the Host/Hostess at various points during the event to explain what is occurring. You will need to print out one copy of each script card.



95



You are cordially invited to



A MurderMystery Party Date Time Location Details Enclosed.



Please RSVP no later than



What Is a Murder Mystery Party? Jazz Age Jeopardy is a Murder Mystery Party



wherein the guests will take on the roles of staff, entertainers, and guests at a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City and play as those characters throughout the course of the event. At some point during the evening, one of the guests will be “killed” by one of the other participants, and the remainder of the evening will be spent piecing together clues in an attempt to determine who the murderer is. Food and drink will be provided.



Included with this invitation are an



RSVP card and a brief description of the characters, as well as costuming suggestions and a glossary of Jazz Age lingo and slang. Please return the RSVP card as soon as possible!



The Guest List Male Roles • • • • • • • • •



Felix Fontano, Club Owner. Felix owns The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. He is attractive and vain, the son of famous bootlegger Frank Fontano. Raymond Reynolds, Artist. Raymond is an old college buddy of Felix’s—an artist and something of a dilettante. He comes from old money. Jefferson Mitchell, Stockbroker. Jefferson is a successful stockbroker working on Wall Street. Edgar Fitzpatrick, Broadway Producer. Edgar is an up-and-coming Broadway director and producer. Roger Webster, Attorney. Roger is a money-hungry, ambulance-chasing attorney. Duke Carillo, Track Owner. Duke owns a horseracing track in New Jersey. He’s an old friend of the Fontano family. Poppy Gebhardt, Club Manager. Poppy manages the day-to-day affairs of the club with an iron fist. Calvin Carpenter, Bartender. Calvin is the bartender at the club. He’s cocky and presumptuous. A scoundrel with the ladies. Ronald Mason, Doctor. Ronald is a physician who has made a lot of money during Prohibition because of his willingness to prescribe medicinal alcohol.



Female Roles • • • • • • • • •



Edith Fontano, Club Owner’s Wife. Edith is Felix’s wife. Enduring years of his infidelity has left her hardened and cynical. June Palmetto, Actress. June is a famous actress, a southern belle in the big city. Judy Jordan, Flapper. Judy Jordan is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s young, bubbly, and optimistic. Claudia Mitchell, Writer. Claudia is a well-known author and the wife of stockbroker Jefferson Mitchell. Gloria Call, Singer. Gloria is a jazz singer hired to perform this evening. Jacqueline Jacobs, Fashion Designer. Jacqueline is a snobbish fashion designer. She has a boutique catering to young flapper types. Ella Landeau, Flapper. Ella Landeau is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s confident and flirtatious. Bess Bailey, Flapper. Bess Bailey is a popular young woman on the party circuit. She’s lighthearted on the outside but serious underneath. Holly Olmstead, Tennis Champion. Holly Olmstead is a professional tennis player. She’s haughty and competitive.



Male or Female Roles •



• • • • •



Win Wallace, Accountant. Win is the accountant for many of the guests. S/he’s reserved but knowledgeable. Elliot Nash, Jazz Pianist. Elliot is a talented jazz pianist who often performs at the club. S/he is cool, calm, and collected. Charlie Chambers, Jazz Bassist. Charles is a talented jazz bassist who often performs at the club. He is obsessed with all things jazz. Brett Burgess, Waiter. Brett is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway. Regan Richards, Waiter. Rosie is a relatively new employee at The Cat’s Meow Jazz Club. S/he has hopes of one day making it big on Broadway. Alex Preston, Actor. Alex Preston was once on track to stardom, but alcohol got the better of him/her.



RSVP Card



No, I will be unable to attend. Yes, I will be attending. Your Character



If you have any special dietary needs or preferences (vegetarian, vegan, allergies, etc.), please list them below:



We look forward to seeing you there!



RSVP Card



No, I will be unable to attend. Yes, I will be attending. 1st Character Choice 2nd Character Choice I have no character preference. If you have any special dietary needs or preferences (vegetarian, vegan, allergies, etc.), please list them below:



We look forward to seeing you there!



Suggestions for Costumes Feel free to supplement these ideas with your own Internet research and creativity. Note any specific costuming instructions on your character sheet. General costume ideas, men • Suits • Tuxedoes • Striped sports coats • Ties • Hats (top hat, homburg hat, fedora) • Pants a bit short so that socks show • Cuffed trousers General costume ideas, women • Flapper dresses: loose-fitting, drop waist, knee length or shorter (but not too short), calf length is fine too, uneven or asymmetrical hemlines • Bare-limb look • Flesh-colored stockings (to keep bare-limb look); stockings with patterns • Mary Janes • Fringe • Feathers, boas • Sequins • Long strings of beads • Art deco jewelry • Short hair (for long-haired players, perhaps try a wig or an up-do that simulates shorter hair) • Cloche hats • Hair wraps • Clutch bag • Long cigarette holders (nonsmokers could use as a prop only) • Wrapover coats • Fur collars



Jazz Age Vocabulary Here’s a list to help you bone up on your Jazz Age lingo. To add to the fun, try to integrate some of these terms and phrases into your conversations the evening of the party. Feel free to supplement this list with your own Internet research. ab-so-lute-ly: affirmative
 ace: one-dollar bill
 Attaboy!: well done!; also, Attagirl! baby: sweetheart; also denotes something of high value or respect
 baloney: nonsense
 beat it: scram, get lost
 bee's knee's: terrific; a fad expression beef: a complaint or to complain beeswax: business bent: drunk big cheese: important person bird: general term for a man or woman, sometimes meaning "odd” blotto: drunk, especially to an extreme
 bump off: to kill cat's meow: great, also "cat's pajamas" and "cat's whiskers" cheaters: eye glasses ciggy: cigarette
 clam: a dollar
 copacetic: excellent, all in order
 doll: an attractive woman
 dolled up: dressed up
 dough: money
 fella: fellow flat tire: a bore floorflusher: an insatiable dancer
 For crying out loud!: same usage as today
 fried: drunk
 Get Hot! Get Hot!: encouragement for a hot dancer doing his or her thing
 get-up: an outfit
 get in a lather: get worked up, angry
 go chase yourself: get lost, scram.
 gold-digger: a woman who pursues men for their money
 goods, the: (1) the right material, or a person who has it (2) the facts, the truth hard-boiled: tough high hat: a snob hip to the jive: cool, trendy
 hooch: booze




hood: hoodlum
 hooey: bullshit, nonsense Hot dog!: Great!; also: "Hot socks!" Java, joe: coffee
 jeepers creepers: "Jesus Christ!"
 john: a toilet
 joint: establishment killjoy: a solemn person
 lay off: cut the crap
 left holding the bag: (1) to be cheated out of one's fair share (2) to be blamed for something
 level with me: be honest
 line: a false story, as in "to feed one a line"
 live wire: a lively person
 moonshine: homemade whiskey nifty: great, excellent
 off one's nuts: crazy
 old boy: a male term of address, used in conversation with other males as a way to denote acceptance in a social environment on the level: legitimate, honest
 on the up and up: on the level pipe down: stop talking
 ragamuffin: a dirty or disheveled individual
 Real McCoy: a genuine item
 sap: a fool, an idiot
 screwy: crazy; "You're screwy!"
 sitting pretty: in a prime position
 skirt: an attractive female
 so's your old man: a reply of irritation
 sugar daddy: older boyfriend who showers girlfriend with gifts in exchange for sex
 swanky: (1) good (2) elegant
 swell: (1) good (2) a high class person tight: attractive
 vamp: (1) a seducer of men, an aggressive flirt (2) to seduce

 wet blanket: killjoy
 white lightning: bootleg liquor
 "What's eating you?": "What's wrong?"
 "You slay me!": "That's funny!"



Clue 1 of 7



Clue 2 of 7



Based on the victim’s wounds, this broken bottle appears to have been the murder weapon. It appears the murderer left his or her bloody handprint on the handle. Pay close attention to the orientation of the handprint. Not everyone here would hold the bottle in that way. Also, what is that distinctive odor?



103



This note was found in the victim’s pocket.



Clue 3 of 7



Clue 4 of 7



This Vaudeville playbill must have been lost by someone during the struggle.



104



This special gift for a special lady must have been lost by someone during the struggle.



Clue 5 of 7



Clue 6 of 7



This pocket watch must have been lost by someone during the struggle.



105



This train ticket to Philly is for later this very evening. It must have been lost by someone during the struggle.



Clue 7 of 7



This voucher from Duke Carillo’s horseracing track was found in the victim’s pocket.



106



d and Water Token



Clues



Who Did It? Voting Sheet Your character’s name



Name of the guest or player who you believe was responsible for the murder



Name of the guest or player who you feel did the best job acting in character this evening



Name of the guest or player who you feel had the best costume this evening



107



Keen Detective Award For correctly identifying Edgar Fitzgerald as the killer,



is hereby awarded the Keen Detective Award. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Outstanding Costume Award For receiving the most votes for best costume,



is hereby awarded the Outstanding Costume Award. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Outstanding Actor Award For receiving the most votes for best acting,



is hereby awarded the Outstanding Actor Award. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Falsely Accused and Convicted! Award Whoops! Even though you were innocent, you weren’t able to convince the other guests that you weren’t the killer. Poor



You’ll just have to live with this Falsely Accused and Convicted! Award as a consolation prize. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Cold Blooded Killer Award It takes a lot to murder a man in cold blood, and this award recognizes that



is not someone to be trifled with. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Got Away With Murder! Award Not only did you do the heinous deed, but you got away with it as well! Great job,



and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Hapless Victim Turned Expert Investigator Award For being such a good sport,



is hereby awarded the Hapless Victim Award Turned Expert Investigator Award. Great job, and thanks for playing Jazz Age Jeopardy! Award s



Awarded On:



Scri pt S heets



Welcome to the Party Script 1: To be read by the Host or Hostess after all of the guests have arrived but before the event officially begins. Welcome, everyone, and thank you for attending Jazz Age Jeopardy. As all of you know, this is a murder mystery party. During the party, you will be playing the roles of staff, entertainers, and guests at a private party held at a jazz club in 1920s New York City. Each of you has a character sheet that details special knowledge that your character has, along with certain instructions for ways that your character should respond to specific situations. Aside from these instructions and the general role-playing tips on your character sheets, there is no particular script that you need to follow; simply do your best to act as you believe your character would act. During the course of the evening, I will be playing the part of the Narrator; I will not be taking on a particular role but will rather be explaining what is happening as the night unfolds. Let me describe the scene for you. It is the height of the Jazz Age, and social revolution is afoot. Furthermore, this is the age of Prohibition—and of bootleggers and gangsters. Fashion, music, technology, and morals are all changing at a lightning pace. Club owner Felix Fontano, the son of successful bootlegger and crime boss Frank Fontano—and a successful businessman himself—is throwing this private party for a group of select friends. It is a night of revelry like many other nights of revelry enjoyed by this group of sophisticates, artists and hoodlums . . . until things go horribly wrong. Before we begin, we’ll give each of you a couple of minutes to read over your character sheet and handout and make sure you understand everything. Remember not to show your character sheet to anyone else and to be careful what information you end up sharing with other players. Some of you have secret information listed on your sheet that your character wouldn’t want disclosed to just anyone. [Once everyone has had a chance to read over their sheets, give them an opportunity to ask questions about how the game will work. Once all of their questions have been answered, continue with this script.] You are now free to mingle with each other. Dinner will be served promptly at [insert time] p.m. [Optional, if you need help with service:] And now, if I could see Poppy Gebhardt, Calvin Carpenter, and the waiters [if these characters are in play] in the kitchen. [At this point you can take the character or characters helping with service into the kitchen and explain that part of their role tonight will be to assist with serving the food, bringing around appetizer trays, and keeping drinks refilled.]



115



Dinner Ends Script 2: To be read by the Host or Hostess after Dinner, Near the end of Act One Now that dinner is over, let’s listen to some jazz and enjoy ourselves. Feel free to circulate around the room and mingle. [If you plan to dance:] There’s an area prepared for dancing. Loosen your ties and cut a rug!



116



A Terrible Discovery Script 3: To be read by the Host or Hostess at the Beginning of Act Two [At this point, Poppy Gebhardt will give a speech from his character sheet, included here for your reference: “Holy smokes, are we in deep! I was going into the back rooms to check on our drink supplies, and I found an awful scene. Just awful. Felix is in there on the floor. Covered in blood. Someone has stabbed him. It looks like he fought hard, but he’s dead. As a doornail. Old Frank ain’t gonna be happy. Boy are we in trouble!” After Poppy’s speech, guide the guests to Felix’s body. Point out the wound, the disheveled hair, and the signs of a struggle. Make sure everyone gets a good look. Then continue with the script.] Now, so that he can continue to play a part in the fun, [name of the guest playing Felix Fontano] will leave the room for a moment and return as another character. [Name of the guest playing Felix], please make your exit and rejoin us as quickly as possible. [If you wish to do so, now is the time to put a dummy or object in place of Felix’s body, to mark the location in which it was found. When the guest who played Felix reenters the room, now dressed as PI Cecil Ripley, continue with the script.] Please welcome to the scene private investigator Cecil Ripley. Let me point out that Cecil is not a suspect, and he’ll be a great help in the investigation. Cecil, could you tell us a little about who you are and how you came to be here? [Cecil will respond with the speech included on his character sheet for Act Two. It is included here for your reference: “I’m PI Cecil Ripley. You’ve probably heard of me because, well, hasn’t everybody? Anyway, I’ve been tailing Felix for a few weeks at the behest of old Frank Fontano. Frank loved Felix, yeah, and there will be hell for whoever did this, but Frank doesn’t trust anyone. Felix seemed to really be rolling in the dough, so Frank had me out there collecting dirt on Felix’s business dealings. You may wonder how I ended up at this party. Well, I had planned to get here much earlier in the evening, disguised as a waiter to continue my investigation. But I got caught up in another case. Missing young woman, frantic parents, you know the drill. Boy was I surprised to show up and find this scene. I’ve gotta say, there’s no way you folks should take this one to the cops. I’ve seen my share of this bootleggin’ mob lifestyle, and those guys are tight with the police. You’ll all end up as targets, embroiled in scandal, always watchin’ your backs. We better figure this one out right now. Seal the exits. We’d better get down to business. First things first: let’s take a closer look at this crime scene. If you find a clue, bring it back to me. We’ll collect them all and see where we stand.”]



117



Suspect Interrogations Script 4: To be read by the Host or Hostess After All the Clues Have Been Gathered After combing through the area, you are certain that you’ve found everything there is to be found. You’ve examined the physical evidence. Now it’s time to find out if any of you know anything that could help solve this crime. Cecil, I’ll let you take the lead.



118



Presentation of Evidence Script 5: To be read by the Host or Hostess once the Interrogations Have Concluded. Now that we’ve seen the hard evidence and heard what the interviewees had to say, does anyone have anything to add? Does anyone have any questions or theories? [Give everyone a chance to ask questions, make accusations or observations, and share relevant information. The physical clues should still be visible for consideration.]



119