Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, the Owen-Withee Area Chamber of Commerce and Owen Downtown Revitalization Committee presented a new Murder on the Yellowstone Trail mystery entitled “Who Killed the Lumberjack?” The play was written and directed by Paul Warshauer of Murders4Fun. The audience had to try to figure out who the killer was and their motive. Three tables solved the murder on Friday, with the one who did the best “crime scene” drawing chosen as the winner. On Saturday, two tables solved the murder, but only one got the motive right.
Friday night, just under 50 people were in attendance and Saturday night that number rose to over 70. Volunteers worked hard to get the food ready, set up the tables for dinner, and serve a few beverages to the crowd.
Paul Warshauer wrote and directed the events that were to occur. He has written over 450 shows, which have been performed across the U.S., in Europe, and even on a cruise ship. He arrived in Owen on Thursday evening and worked with cast members for about three hours so they would learn their characters and make things not only interesting, but entertaining. Part of the show is scripted, other parts are improvised by the actors with direction from Warshauer.
The plot revolved around whether a toothpick factory should be allowed to move into town in competition with the local Lumberjack Cereal factory. There was also a little romance in the air or was there between the heirs to both companies. Each member of the cast had their own potential murder weapon and gunshots could be heard during both performances.
The cast included: Nathan Bier as Baron Bernard Blauhardt, German royalty here to claim his ancestral land; Elizabeth Bier as Baroness Brunhilde Blauhardt, the baron’s wife; Jasmine Kroening as the Marquess Bernice Blauhadt, their daughter; Brian Lewison as Mayor Fred Flipflappah, who needs to make a decision; Patricia Steiner as Judge Reinhold, hired to mediate; Betty Muehlbauer as G. Gloria Piddley, Chief of Staff; Elaine Haas as Jacqueline “Big Mama” Jacks, founder of Lumberjack cereal; Jeffer Scheuer as Jeffer Jacks, her younger sister; and Paul Kroening as Jacob “Jumpin” Jacks, who runs the cereal line but wants to chop down trees. Vickie Kuehn was the stage manager for the production.
On Friday night, Big Mama killed the Marquess with a large toothpick, but on Saturday night things turned around, and it was the Marquess who killed Jacob with the toothpick. The evenings were interactive with audience members getting to talk to cast members about the merits of the two companies. Later the audience got to fill out a ballot identifying the murderer and the motive. They could then draw the crime scene on the back for extra credit points.
In addition to the Chamber and the DRC, the following helped to sponsor the event: Munson Bridge Winery, the Woodland Hotel, Nancy and Dale Amacher, Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home, Korenuk Heating & Cooling, RedDaisy Girl, Standke Financial Services, Mauel’s Dairy, Enterprise Sentinel, Woodland Tap Room, and Owen City Hall.