Samuel French, Inc. The House of Plays & Musical Plays for Over 175 Years

Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody, A
[13769]

$9.95

ISBN 978-0-573-67038-1

Ron Bernas

Comedy/Murder Mystery

4m, 2f

Unit Set

It’s New Year’s Eve at the Perry mansion, and Julia and Matthew Perry seem to have it all. But Matthew wants something more -- to be rid of his wife Julia so he can have some real fun! He resolves to murder Julia by the new year’s end, and tells her so. She vows to stay alive, and tells him so. And so the game begins -- a hilarious year-long match of wits and the witless. While Julia cleverly dodges Matthew’s devious murder attempts, the Perry friends and staff are dying off mysteriously. It seems Matthew is successful in murdering everyone but Julia.

As the bodies are falling, dim-witted daughter Bunny contemplates calling off her wedding to unwitting Donald since all the intended gift-bearing guests are dying. Enter Detective Plotnik -- a Sam Spade reincarnation who suspects everyone, but hasn’t a clue. That is, not until Donald stumbles upon Julia and gentlemanly butler Buttram in what Donald mistakenly perceives as a compromising situation. Donald jumps to the conclusion that Julia is the murderer -- trying to murder Matthew!

A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody is an homage to the screwball comedies of the 30’s and 40’s.

“A delightful surprise . . . an evening of fun just on the proper side of slapstick.” - Lansing State Journal

“Comedy packs laughs . . . a delightful play . . . a medley of laughs . . . the play has charm, and is really funny.” - News-Herald, Southgate, MI

Community Theatre Association of Michigan New Plays Competition Winner

FEE: $75 per performance

Character Descriptions
MATTHEW PERRY - Mid-50’s, a man who from birth has had more dollars than sense. He is facing a minor mid-life crisis.
BUTTRAM - 40’s-50’s, the family butler for many years, though convinced he is above being a butler -- at least for this family. He is given to crying jags, and harbors a terrible secret.
JULIA PERRY - Mid-50’s, Matthew’s wife. A classy, intelligent woman who loves her husband despite his many faults -- and is always a step ahead of him.
BUNNY PERRY - Mid 20’s, Matthew and Julia’s sweet, but dim-witted and deeply shallow daughter.
DONALD - Mid-20’s, Bunny’s fiancé. He is very earnest, and very much in love with Bunny, despite her lack of savvy.
PLOTNIK - 30’s-50’s, a witless detective. He was born 40 years too late, and read too many Dashiell Hammett novels. (Yes, he can read, sort of.) He fancies himself a cynical gumshoe, but lacks the savvy to locate, let alone solve, a crime.

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