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Life, Love, Laughter—
and Murder
Golden Chain Theatre’s World
Premiere of Café Mocha Murders
Despite the raging storm outside, it seems like a
perfectly normal night for a staff meeting at the local
coffee shop, The Bean Shack. That is, until the lights go
out, and someone winds up dead.
That’s the premise of Deanna Strasse’s Café Mocha
Murders, which received its AACT NewPlayFest 2022
world premiere March 25 at Golden Chain Theatre (GCT)
in Oakhurst, California.
Under the direction of Jennifer Janine (who also serves
as the theatre’s artistic director), the over-the-top
whodunit underscored GCT’s mission to offer a vibrant
contribution to the community’s economy, culture, and
spirit. In fact, by all accounts, the theatre was so full of
life, love, and laughter that many in the audience forgot
about trying to solve the murder.
Key to the show’s success is the script by Deanna
Strasse, who has performed in her fair share of murder
mysteries, and always wanted to write one herself.
they have more in common than they originally thought.
I wanted a story featuring strong female characters who
can’t see eye-to-eye until they’re forced to. The tale is
kooky, over-the-top, and far-fetched, but at its core it’s
about people learning to get along.”
Luckily, the playwright and team at GCT didn’t have
to work hard at getting along. When asked about the
process of working directly with a playwright, Director
Jennifer Janine said, “Sometimes you wonder if it would
feel like too many cooks in the kitchen, but we lucked
out. Deanna has been a dream to work with. Seeing
inside her mind was a wonderful learning opportunity
for all involved.”
In return, Strasse praised Janine and AACT NewPlayFest
Dramaturg Kathy Pingel as her strongest advocates from
the beginning.
“Working on a new play requires a team
who can see its possibilities and identify its
shortcomings,” Strasse explained. “Kathy and
Jennifer helped me further develop the show,
contributed valuable bits, moved text around,
and so much more. The show became tighter,
stronger, and better. This process has been an
amazing gift for a playwright, and I cannot
say thank you to them enough.”
- Deanna Strasse
Steve Montalto
Veteran barista Ivy (Kaley Marsh) makes The Devil’s Joe, the infamous
secret coffee drink and possible murder weapon in Golden Chain Theatre’s
production of Café Mocha Murders
“There’s something very enthralling about mysteries of
any kind, but especially when murder is involved,” she
says in her program notes. “The play becomes not only
a form of entertainment, but a mind game as well. I
wanted to have all the intrigue (and some humor) you’d
expect from a murder mystery, but I also wanted more. I
wanted a story about adversaries who come to see that
Steve Montalto
Playwright Deanna Strasse, Director Jennifer Janine, and AACT Dramaturg
Kathy Pingel celebrate the opening of Café Mocha Murders at Golden
Chain Theatre
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AACT SPOTLIGHT
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