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Arts and Culture
Sophia Sura
St. Paul

Riverboat performance lets audience navigate a murder mystery

Two actors talk on the boat deck as audience members stand around them.
Actors Mahmoud Hakima, left, and Dawn Krosnowski, playing the roles of Gabriel Cooke and Catherine Doyle, act out a scene during a performance of "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum," an interactive period mystery play set in 1856 aboard the riverboat Jonathan Padleford.
Tom Baker for MPR News

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One of the people aboard the Jonathan Padelford on this summer evening has a secret. He, or she, is planning a murder.

This isn’t an ordinary river cruise. It’s an interactive murder mystery that employs the riverboat to take guests down the Mississippi River to find the killer hiding among them.

“Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum” is set in the 1850s, just before the Civil War. The production is a collaboration among Mississippi Park Connection, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and Fearless Comedy Productions.

“One of the things we like to do in partnership with the parks service is to create programs to get people to and on the river,” said Katie Nyberg, executive director of Mississippi Park Connection. “Our community has such a strong affinity for arts and culture that for us, reaching out and partnering with Fearless Comedy Productions was such a great fit.”

Photos: 'Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum'
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Actor Garrick Dietz interacts with young audience members.
Actor Garrick Dietz interacts with young audience members during a performance. Dietz plays the role of Jackson "Thunder" Hogan, a trapper who was hired as a bodyguard for wealthy travelers on the river. For the actors, there is no backstage and they always have to be in character, improvising when people in the audience talk with them.
Tom Baker for MPR News
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The deck of the riverboat Jonathan Padleford.
The riverboat Jonathan Padleford cruises along the Mississippi River beneath a clear sky June 26. Along with watching the performance of the play "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum," audience members can enjoy the beauty of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area on a summer evening.
Tom Baker for MPR News
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An audience member takes notes on different characters during a performance of "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum."
An audience member takes notes on different characters during a performance of "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum," an interactive period mystery play set in 1856 aboard the riverboat Jonathan Padleford.
Tom Baker for MPR News

This is the production’s third season on the river. Each year, the writers choose a decade in history when the Mississippi River was particularly important to St. Paul.

The first year’s show was based in the 1920s, during Prohibition. Last year, the theme was the 1940s, during World War II. Guests are encouraged to wear period costumes.

The director of the show, Derek “Duck” Washington, said the history of each show’s time period is reflected in the cast of characters.

This year there’s a pair of Irish immigrants, an escaped slave, a railroad baron and a shipping heiress, among others. The heiress, Margaret Vanderbilt, has learned of a potential killer who has boarded her ship and is planning on causing harm to one of her guests.

The show combines scripted acting with improvisation. The actors perform in scenes that take place all over the boat. Guests meander from scene to scene, looking for clues to the murderer’s identity.

In between scenes, audience members can talk with the actors to gather more information. For the actors, there is no backstage. They always have to be in character.

Photos: 'Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum'
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Actors bow at the conclusion of "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum."
Actors bow at the conclusion of "Murder on the Mississippi: Antebellum."
Tom Baker for MPR News
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The riverboat Jonathan Padleford sits tied at the dock at dusk.
The riverboat Jonathan Padleford sits tied at the dock at Harriet Island Regional Park and along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.
Tom Baker for MPR News
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Pedro Irurita, 7, writes down who he thinks committed the crime.
Pedro Irurita, 7, writes down who he thinks committed the crime.
Tom Baker for MPR News

“During this show, you have no idea where people are going to be sitting or standing,” said cast member Angela Fox, who plays a journalist. “There’s been times when we’re supposed to be in a certain area, but there are a bunch of chairs there. Sometimes people walk through scenes. It’s unlike any other theater that I think I’ve ever done.”

At the end of the show, audience members can submit their guess of who they think is the murderer. They learn the answer before disembarking.

Three performances remain this summer: this Wednesday and Aug. 22 and Sept. 18.