‘Murder at the Mansion’ benefits Families In Crisis
“Murder at the Mansion,” a murder mystery dinner theater presentation set for Feb. 27 in the manor’s Victorian Carriage House, is a “whodunit” based on actual characters from Warren County history in the late 1800s. Proceeds from the event will benefit Families In Crisis, the local shelter and counseling program for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
The play is set at an elegant dinner party given in 1897 by wealthy manufacturer Clay Faulkner and his wife, Mary, to celebrate completion of their new Faulkner Springs mansion, named Falcon Rest. The guest list includes local notables such as former mayor Jesse Walling, Confederate Col. John Savage, photographer William S. Lively, nurseryman J.H.H. Boyd, Southern Standard editor Radford Reams and the extended Faulkner family, as well as nationally prominent individuals which include Teddy Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony and Annie Oakley.
Falcon Manor’s George and Charlien McGlothin will portray Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner, but the real stars of the show will be the audience members themselves who will assume 1897 characters when they arrive. Mr. Faulkner will carry on an impromptu dialogue with the guests during dinner, when a dastardly murder mars the celebration. Audience members will help a special celebrity guest discover which one of them is actually a murderer. While it is entirely optional, guests are invited to attend wearing Victorian era apparel.
The Faulkner couple will begin receiving guests at 7 p.m. and the elegant Victorian dinner will begin at 7:30 p.m.
This event is a great way to enjoy a delicious meal and rib-tickling entertainment, while learning about the history of Warren County as well as benefiting a worthy organization, said Mr. Faulkner’s alter-ego, George McGlothin.
Families In Crisis had served Warren, Grundy and Sequatchie counties for the past 13 years, providing shelter, court advocacy, court escorts, food, clothing, transportation and supportive counseling to victims of domestic violence and their children. With offices in all three counties, the program maintains a 24-hour, seven days a week national hot line to assist victims of domestic and sexual abuse. The local hot line received over 3,500 calls last year.
Families In Crisis receives some financial support from the counties served, but most of the operating expenses are funded through fund-raisers such as Murder at the Mansion. A donation of $35 per person covers the three course meal and the play, with a majority of the proceeds going to the crisis center.
Reservations may be made by calling Families In Crisis business line at 931-473-6543.