Frequently Asked Questions

1. What time do your shows usually start?
    
2. How long is a typical dinner mystery from beginning to end?
    
3. What is the basic layout/format of a Hunt Mysteries dinner theater performance?
    
4. Do you have your own theater?
    
5. What makes a mystery fun, from the actors' point of view?
    
6. What makes Hunt Mysteries dinner theater unique?
    
7. How often are your shows open to the general public?
    
8. Is it possible to book a mystery for a birthday, employee party or as entertainment for a convention?
    
9. How much will it cost to get tickets to a mystery? For a private party?
    
10. Are Hunt Mysteries performances appropriate for children?

1. What time do your shows usually start?
   Typically the doors open at 7:00PM as actors greet guests.  We strongly encourage our private show clients to instruct all guests to begin arriving at 7:00PM
   
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2. How long is a typical dinner mystery from beginning to end?
   Usually about 2½ hours, depending on how fast the food service is.
    
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3. What is the basic layout/format of a Hunt Mysteries dinner theater performance?
   • GREETING:  Our actors greet the guests in character as they come into the dining hall. During the next half hour, they entertain the guests with hilarious improv comedy at their tables, talking about themselves and the other characters to familiarize the audience with the setting of the mystery.
      
   • CHARACTER INTRO:  The actors then go on microphones and perform the opening scene to establish more of the mystery and fully introduce all of the characters.
      
   • DINNER & CONVERSATION:  Dinner is served.  As the guests enjoy a fabulous meal, the characters of the mystery eat alongside them and converse -- dropping various hints about the mystery throughout the meal.
      
   • DESSERT, MYSTERY & INTRIGUE:  As dessert is served, the theatrics continue as characters perform additional scenes that are loaded with singing, dancing and comedy.  Throughout the performance clues needed to solve the mystery are mixed into the dialogue and actions of every character.
      
   • MURDER!:  When the comedy murder happens, our guests become gumshoes and are asked to help solve the mystery.  Clues are provided to help them get started in the sleuthing.  Our guests use the clues and others they've picked up on during the mystery to devise questions to ask as they interrogate the suspects -- all surviving characters of the mystery.  By deciphering the clues the guests formulate a theory in hopes to answer three vital questions:  Who was the murderer?  How was it done?  What was the motive?
      
   • WHODUNNIT & WHY?:  After 20 minutes of sleuthing, the gumshoe-guests turn in their answer forms and the actors then perform the final scene, a comical finale that explains who did it, what the motive was and how it was done.  Guests who answer these questions correctly are eligible to win prizes!
      
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4. Do you have your own theater?
   We don't own a private theater; however we've partnered with various venues to perform our mystery dinner theater shows monthly for the public.  Our current partners include:
    
   • The Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City Utah
      
   • Boccia's D'Italia in Harrisville, Utah (Ogden suburb)
      
   • Inn on the Creek in Midway, Utah (Heber Valley)
      
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5. What makes a mystery fun, from the actors' point of view?
   • "The opportunity to improv directly with the guests. The idea of breaking the Fourth Wall was foreign to me--truly a unique experience." -Scott Stone.
      
   • "A one-on-one interaction between actor and audience; actors free to ad lib much of the time; more freedom for personal expression of actor's character and its development." -Gary Thompson.
      
   • "Talking to audience members in character, and the singing." -Joyce Gunther
      
   • "The interaction between the actors and audience is especially fun to watch... Also, the sleuthing to solve the mystery is a personal favorite part of the experience." -W. Lee Hunt
      
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6. What makes Hunt Mysteries dinner theater unique?
   • "Every Hunt Mysteries performance can be classified as intimate theater, providing a fantastic dinner theater experience that focuses on audience participation while offering a strong mystery and quality song-and-dance numbers that are all presented with comedy flare." -W. Lee Hunt
      
   • "Hunt Mysteries breaks the Fourth Wall, allowing the audience members to become a real part of the show." -Gary Thompson
      
   • "Each actor stays in character the entire night. Not once do the actors break their characters, creating a different world for each in attendance... Hunt Mysteries strives to 'stay clean' to create a total family experience." -Scott Stone.
      
   • "Audience physically participating." -Joyce Gunther
      
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7. How often are your shows open to the general public?
   Typically three times a month.  During October, we perform our Halloween Special more than 10 times each at a our venue in Salt Lake and at Boccia's D'Itlaia in Ogden.   You can locate our current schedule on our Public Dinner Theater page.
    
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8. Is it possible to book a mystery for a birthday, employee party or as entertainment for a convention?
   • YES!!!  In fact, most of our performances are private shows at various venues.  We can even help arrange a location that will be the most suitable for the mystery!
      
   • Most private parties are for groups of 50 to 250, however we are flexible and can perform for fewer than 50 or more than 300. We adjust how we do the show and sleuthing for groups larger than 250.
      
   • For more details, visit our Private Dinner Theater page.
      
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9. How much will it cost to get tickets to a mystery? For a private party?
   • Public Performances: The price fluctuates, depending on the location and discounts.  Typically an adult ticket for the dinner and performance ranges between $35 and $45.  Visit our Public Dinner Theater page for our current schedule.
      
   • Private Performances:  Prices vary depending on the show location (distance from Salt Lake Valley), the size of the group, the date (December shows are extra), and the day of week. Discounts may be available for very small groups, charity events and church events.
      
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10. Are Hunt Mysteries performances appropriate for children?
    • Virtually all of our shows are suitable and fun for your entire family.
       
    • Children as young as eight enjoy sleuthing and solving the mystery.
       
    • There are some innuendos in the show, but no swearing and no body-function jokes.
       
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