A Decade of Francois!

Happy anniversary, Francois!

2024 marks the 10th anniversary of my first interactive murder mystery play that was commissioned by producer Melanie Roady for her theater, Mel O' Drama Theater, in Nashville, TN. Based on characters created by artist Jann Harrison, the subsequent play was entitled THE PERILS OF FRANCOIS. Since then, it has gone under a title change for marketing purposes and is now called DEAD TUESDAY, as suggested by another producer, Jerri Wiseman of the StageCoach Theatre Company in Virginia for its second production.

Since that time, DEAD TUESDAY, the little show that could, has been produced by several companies across the country and is gearing up for two new shows for 2024.

The first, on February 17, is being staged by Resounding Performing Arts in Williamsport, PA, just after Mardi Gras in New Orleans' where DEAD TUESDAY is set.

Then, my buddy Roscoe III of San Luis Valley Theatre Company tackles the Francois Fibian saga for two nights in May in Alamosa, CO. Roscoe previously produced my other murder mystery, MURDER: THE FINAL FRONTIER not once, but twice (!) in 2017 and 2021.

Previous productions of DEAD TUESDAY by these fantastic theater groups:

2014: MEL O'DRAMA THEATER NASHVILLE, TN 

The original Mack Daddy production!

2015:STAGECOACH THEATRE COMPANY LOUDON COUNTY, VA

2016: SUGAR HIGH THEATRICALS GALESBURG, IL

2017: ROGUE THEATER COMPANY STURGEON BAY, WI

2019: DELTON ACT DELTON, MI

 
2019: SANZMAN PRODUCTIONS LOS ANGELES, CA

 
2022: STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE STATE COLLEGE, PA

I thank you and Francois certainly thanks you as well.

And Happy Anniversary, you amphibious sonuvagun!

Previous blogs about DEAD TUESDAY:

DEAD TUESDAY

A FROG BLOG-The story behind the story of DEAD TUESDAY

DEAD TUESDAY: MEET THE BOUDREAUXS!-A script excerpt, the opening scene of DEAD TUESDAY

Performing rights for DEAD TUESDAY are available for amateur and professional theater groups.

For more information and to obtain a full perusal script, please contact: 

Scott Cherney 

writtenbysc@gmail.com

A Frog Blog

Way back in the last decade (seems like yesterday, eh?), I started sending out my melodrama scripts once again in hopes of someone, ANYONE, wanting to produce either SONG OF THE CANYON KID or LA RUE'S RETURN on their stage. Sho' nuff, luck smiled down upon me and a couple of theaters took the bait. I felt like I was on a roll and dove headlong into my role as Independent Playwright, a title I gave myself since I couldn't get my work published. Well, fooey to youey, play publishers. I'll do it myself so NYAH! (so bleedin' mature, ain't I?)

One establishment I contacted was actually named Mel O'Drama Theater located in Nashville and son of a gun if I didn't get a bite. Melanie Roady, the owner/operator/namesake of M O'D had particular interest in LA RUE, but after reading it decided it didn't fit her particular format. You see, her group specializes in interactive murder mysteries, something I would have known if I had only read the website instead of taking the name at face value. What do you want from me? If I go to Barney's Beanery, I expect to see beans on the menu, not cupcakes.

However, Mel had a proposition for me. Would I like to try my hand at one of her shows based on her outline? Oh and by the way, the main character is a frog who solves the crime.

"Why sure," I agreed. "Wait a hippity-hoppity second here...a frog? A frog frog? Is this a Muppet murder mystery? Oh, a frog man. Like a scuba diver. Nooo...a man with frog-like characteristics. Okayyyyy...."

Francois is a character created in a series of paintings by artist Jann Harrison who also resides in Nashville. Jann has conceived a whole mythology that go along with each piece she's painted. So Francois is a suave, debonair bon vivant who is, to use her words, "a man in transition".
 http://www.jannharrison.com/

I agreed to pen a script but I was under a very tight deadline and the challenge itself proving rather daunting. Murder mysteries are not my first love and red herrings do not sit well in my tummy tum tum. Then to transform this man-frog, frog-man, lily pad lover to the stage and make him palatable as a main character was just icing on the fish cake.

What prompted me to continue was that the story was set in New Orleans, the same setting for LA RUE.which is what interested the producer in the first place. I'm crazy in love with the culture an lore of  N'Awlins, so I added Mardi Gras to the storyline as well as a touch of voodoo here and some Cajun spice there.

After two and a half weeks of banging my head against the wall trying to figure out the intricacies of who killed who and with what and how , I turned in a script with two possible endings (different killers for different nights). Challenge accepted, challenge met. 

This gig led me to a follow-up the next year with Mel O'Drama, STAR TRUCK: THE WRATH OF COMIC-CON (now retitled MURDER-THE FINAL FRONTIER) Both shows have been produced by several other theater groups across the country and their subsequent successes I owe totally to Mel Roady, the one and only, a true Theater Angel.

Such is the power of networking. 

And I'm hungry for more

UPDATE: THE PERILS OF FRANCOIS has been re-named DEAD TUESDAY,  thanks to Jerri Wiseman of the StageCoach Theatre Company

DEAD TUESDAY is available at SCOTT CHERNEY'S STORE or to read a free excerpt go to my website WRITTEN BY SCOTT CHERNEY

Performance rights are available. For info, write to me : writtenbysc@gmail.com

Tell 'em Francois sent ya.