Amateur sleuths exist amongst us. You might even be a gumshoe yourself. They are your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. They are people who devour murder mystery podcasts and binge on detective and forensic shows and books. They solve real and imaginary crimes, yet stoically refrain from shouting out the prime suspects. They can’t believe how some criminals escape detection.  Yes, they silently detect. They are silenced no longer. They can have a voice in a virtual murder mystery and become a part of mystery theater. Read below for clues explaining live theater, what is interactive theater, mystery theater and a virtual murder mystery.

Of course, live theater is a performance which is given in front of live audiences rather than a taped performance. It’s a pretty simple definition but it represents much more.

• Performance that lives and dies the night it’s performed. Each live theater performance is different because it is happening in real time. 

• Uses the audience’s energy. Performers are able to use the audience’s energy to enhance performances. 

Sometimes live theater performers intentionally have interactive moments with audience members, which segues into what is interactive theater.

Interactive theater is a live theater genre which is essentially engrained in the interaction between the audience and actors. Audiences freely interact and engage with performers. Excitingly, the story develops because of the audiences’ interactions with the actors. A clue to understanding what interactive theater is would be to explain the concept of the “fourth wall”. It is described as the wall which separates the audience from the performers. Interactive theater does the following: 

• Breaks the fourth wall.  Interactive theater is a presentational or theatrical form of work, which breaks the fourth wall or separation of the performers from the audience, both physically and verbally. 
• Allows the audience to become part of the performance. Members of the audience become part of the performance. Audience members can use their imaginations and creativity as they participate in the interactive theater performance. 
• Occurs amidst the audience members.  During interactive theater performances, audiences are involved in more active roles. Audiences may be asked to hold props, interact with performers or other audience members, or become characters in the play. 

• Gratifies audiences with the ability to use their imagination. Interactive theater allows for participants to express themselves creatively. 

The thrill of the unexpected is what helps interactive theater to be engaging and exhilarating. It is especially thrilling when it is mystery theater.

A virtual murder mystery is a unique, online, immersive, interactive true-crime murder mystery experience. The mystery theater is performed by an experiential entertainment company that goes far beyond the quintessential murder mystery party or dinner show. Rather, a virtual murder mystery is a digital, immersive, experience, offering a true crime murder mystery with award winning excellence. Let’s investigate why a virtual murder mystery is so appealing. 

• Often Inspired by real events. Virtual murder mystery theater is created from a combination of true-crime murder mysteries and unsolved historical cases. Imagine, real events, which have not been solved….

• Expanding one’s mind. Participating in interactive theater is a great way to share in an immersive experience. The theatrical program provides participants an opportunity to participate in a process which offers intellect, insight and historically researched information about true-crime. 

• Experience intense emotions.  Audiences are able to feel intensely the range of emotions inherent to an eerily real-life human situation and are instantly engaged. Mystery theater is challenging, a great team building experience. Participants are able to live in the moment and be completely engaged in the process. 

• Captivating performances. Each virtual murder mystery theater performance includes a team of the country’s best interactive theater actors. Actors are skilled in high level improvisation and an intuitive knowledge of how to influence human behaviors to create an unforced and effortless engaging live theater experience.

Exceptional storytelling. Virtual murder mystery theater utilizes advanced interactive storytelling techniques which removes the lines between the story and reality. In interactive storytelling, alternative endings are possible, depending on the audiences’ choices.

Mystery theater is a transformational experience for audience members. 

• Transformed from spectators to characters. Audience members are thrilled to be able to get their chance at stardom by being active participants in the live theater. Audience members are no longer passive observers of content, rather, they are dynamic participants. 

• Inhabit the worlds created by the virtual murder mystery team.  Wannabe detectives and their teams can become the center of the action, living in the reality reinvented by the experiential mystery theater acting company. The unique virtual murder mystery experience goes beyond team building and engages participants in a dynamic, compelling manner.

• Interact with unknown people. Participants have the rare opportunity to interact with characters they would never actually meet in their actual lives. Imagine, finally being able to interrogate a suspect! Live theater helps people to understand the people around them and helps further understanding, knowledge and tolerance of cultures and viewpoints of the region of the country where the storyline of the virtual murder mystery occurs.

• Have some fun. Playacting is a lot of fun filled with lots of laughter and comradery. It is very entertaining to interact with the cast and other audience members. You get to be someone else for the day and breathe your character to the fullest. 

• Determines the story’s outcome. The interactions audiences have with the performers affects the action and controls the mystery theater conclusion. Interactive theater allows participants to be creative and bring their own emotions and thoughts to the stage. Audience members participating in a virtual murder mystery are required to think on their feet and adjust their feelings as they deal with changing circumstances – an important quality of team-building and corroborative interactions.  

Whether you are Sherlock Holmes, part of a would-be detective squad, or just looking for a unique, gratifying experience, participating in a virtual murder mystery performance is just the right answer. An amazing chance to immerse a corporate team into a true-crime, unsolved, historical, murder mystery. The clues to the unsolved crimes await your team’s creative input and detecting skills.