"Dying By Degrees" by Mark S.P. Turvin Copyright (c) 1994-Mark S.P. Turvin and Goldfish Publishers Following is a Summary Information File for the full-length, audience-participation murder mystery dinner theatre production "Dying By Degrees" by Mark S.P. Turvin. The play is rated PG-13. The average running time of this piece is 2 hours and 30 minutes with 4 courses and 2 hours and 10 minutes with 3 courses. Characters: Dr. Franklin "Fritz" Fitzgerald-Narcoleptic college president. He's been at the College so long, he graduated from it with a degree in "Library Science." Dr. Milton Woolsey III-Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. One of the two people being groomed for the position of president. His stuck-up New England attitude is topped only by his biting sarcasm. Dr. Rita Vasquez-Dean of the College of Fine Arts. The other person being groomed for the position of president. She intends to wipe out the old boy's network, even if it takes a letterbomb to do it. Dr. Gunther Manheim-Chairman of the Chemistry Department. He's tall, blonde, Aryan, and a fascist, to boot. His position on the short list of the Nobel Prize has helped him bed many a star- struck undergrad. Hyman Bernstein-Extravagant, bizarre writer-in-residence in the English Department. An east coast liberal intellectual who's known as much for his exploits with Allan Ginsberg and Timothy Leary as he is for his writing. Margarita Pagan, M.B.A.-Former sixties radical-turned-Yuppie whose favorite word, reform, has switched prefixes with conceive. Lissy Fenster-The painfully shy graduating valedictorian. Her ticket is written to any ivy league school she chooses. Being honored for her achievements. Time: The night before graduation. Scene: The Faculty Dining Hall at Mount Saint Helen's College. The first scene and part of the second scene of the script are available in the file DBD.TXT. A bad experience and fear of copyright infringement keeps me from uploading the rest. If you are interested in producing this script, and would like to see more, you can contact the playwright by e-mail. My address is mspt@asu.edu. I am negotiable about fees, depending on your circumstances and I'm sympathetic to budget constraints. I am a member of The Dramatist's Guild, and can use their contracts if needed. I can also be reached by snail mail at: Mark S.P. Turvin Goldfish Publishers, LLC 3106 North 22nd Street Phoenix, AZ 85016-7348 As a last resort, you can also call me between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm MST at (602) 912-0117. I hope you enjoy the piece, Mark S.P. Turvin +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Advertising Description: It is the night before graduation at Mount Saint Helen's College. The faculty has collected together to honor this years' exceptional valedictorian, unwind after the passing of yet another school year, and to put the work of the past year behind them. Someone, though, is not yet ready to close the book on this academic year. There are longstanding grudges, affairs-gone-sour, and illicit activities that need to be attended to. It seems that somebody has decided that tonight's the night to teach some people a lesson. If you think getting into Mount Saint Helen's is hard, teaching there is MURDER! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Synopsis: SCENE ONE Introduction of main characters. Lissy Fenster arrives. She is being honored for being the first 4.0 student to graduate. Fritz looks for his speech to the faculty, but finds a threatening note instead warning him to reconsider his decision (about his successor, it's assumed). After he finds and gives his speech, it is discovered that Margarita and Hyman are having an affair, which is to end since Hyman is leaving to publish his tell-all book about the college. Gunther comes onto Lissy, but Lissy misses the innuendos. Fritz announces across the board budget cuts, owing to a lack of funds. This angers Rita and Margarita, and causes the embezzling Milton to squirm. The first course is served. SCENE TWO Fritz confronts Milton about the fiscal shortfalls, but Milton steers him away from the subject. Fritz and Hyman discuss Hyman's book, and Hyman hints at some of the content, including Milton's embezzling. Rita and Lissy discuss the upcoming decision about Fritz' replacement. Margarita comes onto Gunther to try and get Hyman jealous, but he doesn't take the bait. Hyman then reveals to Gunther that he suspects him of being an international spy giving his discoveries about heavy water to Germany. Gunther laughs it off. Fritz announces that his replacement will be Milton, causing Rita to go off the deep end. Fritz informs Milton this his first job is to do an internal audit to find where the funds are going, causing Milton to go off the deep end. Serving of second course. SCENE THREE Margarita admits to Lissy that she was once a student radical on campus, but has since sold-out her high ideals for cold cash. Hyman, drinking heavily throughout the evening, collapses, and Fritz, trying to help him, also dies. Lissy, who has been the proverbial wallflower throughout, leaps into the spotlight and takes over the evening, suspecting foul play. She begins to search for everyone's motives and for the actual murder weapon. Serving of third course. SCENE FOUR Lissy establishes everyone's motives, but has a difficult time figuring out HOW they were both killed. Margarita admits to her radical past, and rejects her current position. Lissy reveals other clues. Serving of fourth course. SCENE FIVE This scene can be any one of four endings, based on the murderer. An ending exists for Woolsey, Rita, Margarita, and even Hyman. After the murderer is revealed, Lissy realizes that her search for a carreer choice has ended, and that she seems to be most comfortable when using her various skills as a detective.