Master Mystery Productions Daniel Stallings– Master Mystery Productions partners with Ridge Writers and Red Rock Books to present a road trip interactive mystery called “Tourist Trap” for Weird Weekend 2023. Celebrating Death Valley’s 90th anniversary as a National Monument, the play is a rousing comedy about a family of nightmare tourists and the extra-long piece of luggage they are terrified of losing. The Morgenstern family is lost in the desert with their packed VW van. Not exactly where you want to be while on your vacation to Death Valley.
This family of five has come to a local bookstore to find “a less defective map” but is soon beleaguered by car trouble that strands them there. But while trying to negotiate the fog of Yellow Page listings for a mechanic, crazy concerns are raised about “a special bit of luggage” they brought with them. Trying to move this special package around the store to avoid unwanted eyes proves to be a hilarious Herculean effort that might pop the seams of the façades our socked-and-sandalled family has put on.
Bob and Karen argue about whose idea is best, Aunt Della wants to consult the stars and her crystals for the best hiding spot, and teenagers Allie and Casey are having fun being as unhelpful as possible. Just who are these bickering, laughable tourists? What really lies beneath the souvenir shades and loud Hawaiian prints? The Morgensterns don’t want anyone sticking their sunscreened noses into their business, and they aren’t afraid to resort to their own kind of tourist trap to keep their secrets safe.
Starring Tristan Risden, Leslie Blake, Nicole Johnson, Allison Mitchell, Murolo Patchin, Libby Mitchell, and Madeleine Smith, this interactive play written and directed by Daniel Stallings will give you a chance to search the characters’ luggage for clues, eavesdrop on their conversations, and laugh at their wild antics. “Tourist Trap” performs Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.). Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for current members of the California Writers Club. They are available right now at Red Rock Books. For more information, visit mastermysteryproductions.com.
