Dressed in garb that would make F. Scott Fitzgerald proud, the Lathrop High School theater arts department is bringing its “Jazz Age Jeopardy” mystery dinner theater experience to life this Friday. 

And with a wide-ranging cast of performers – from introductory theater students all the way up to the school’s advanced thespians – the show, which will include dinner from Fagundes Meats and Catering, will prove to be an immersive experience that will involve the audience as much as it does the cast. 

And nearly every facet of the performance will be improvised.  

“Featuring my introduction through advanced theater students, this long-form improv is modeled after the 16th century Italian ‘Commedia Del Arte,’” said Lathrop High theater arts teacher Hali Rosen. “This is a creative event for my students where they know the outline of the story and know their character motivation but improvise the words.”

According to the performance notes, the audience is encouraged to dress in their best “gangster garb” to figure out who “offed” Felix Fontano, the infamous speakeasy owner of “The Cat’s Meow.”

With a cast that includes celebrities, low-lives, unsavory sorts and gangsters that are all attending the one-night event, the show will include 1920s music and entertainment numbers to famous songs including “Minnie the Moocher,” “The Charleston,” “The Black Bottom,” “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat,” “The Conga,” and “Ain’t Misbehavin.’”

The $20 tickets for the event, which includes a ribs and tri-tip dinner, can be purchased at the door of the Lathrop High School cafeteria the evening of the event. For larger groups wishing to attend the 6 p.m. performance, tables of eight are available for the same prices as six single tickets – a $5-per-ticket savings. 

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.