It will be a night to remember next Saturday – with a spirited cast of Ripon Veterans of Foreign Wars members staging a Las Vegas style murder mystery at the post home where a slayer is preying on socialites attending VIP parties such as the one set for next weekend.
The dinner hall is being decorated March 25 in sparkly Mardi Gras style bling, a favorite for a high class socialite event demonstrating the aura of the rich and famous. Dinner will be served at 6 following the 5 p.m. cocktail hour. A donation of $15 may be paid at the door in lieu of advance ticket sales.
The Sin City Slayer is the suspect who the diners all fear in their anxious skepticism from their seats.
The nine participants all come from the ranks of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They have already been assigned their roles in the production that is scheduled to begin with a cocktail hour where cast members will mix and chat with diners.  The event is in three acts with the first being the cocktail hour where clues will be revealed – the Second Act, a sumptuous dinner – with the murderer being revealed during the Third Act – at dessert.
The cast includes retired Ripon Police Detective Jim West, in the role of the Murder Mystery detective; Dracen Gray, the house keeper, cosmos at the resort and casino; Sandy Hansen as the casino maid, Doc Van Wagner, aging rock star from the South; Tom Souza, Adair Burgundy reporter; Post Commander Linda Shelton, Darby Zerulean magician; Jude Plum as an important Hollywood socialite,  a hoity-toity splashy woman doing her best to stay out of the trashy tabloids; Tiffany Dickson, upper-end fashion designer; Fred Garber, Piper White; Pat Van Zanten, the cook keeping the entrée a secret and Dean Uecker who will play the part of Greenly along with former post commander Adrian Fondse.
In a dramatic conclusion, Detective Jim West will divulge the identity of his prime suspect and how the superior cast investigation kept the VFW diners safe at their tables.
The VFW Post is located at 12455 West Ripon Road at Olive Avenue.  For more information phone 209.941.8391

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.