Berthoud’s own Moon Theatre Company, an all-inclusive community theater group, needs five fun-loving individuals in the 20-30-year-old bracket to round out the cast for their upcoming murder mystery dinner theatre production, “An Audition for a Murder.” No previous acting experience is required. Five performances are scheduled for late October at two local venues.

Courtesy photo – From a past Moon Theatre production of The Odd Couple. From left to right: Gale Magaha miller, Kathleen Gruman, Ken Benda and Brien Fletcher.

“We have crazy fun!” said Kathleen Gruman, a founding member of the company. “The fall murder mystery has that tie with Halloween. We decorate accordingly and invite audience members to arrive in costume. We want to make it an annual event!”

In keeping with the group’s recent partnership with the Berthoud Historical Society (which saw plays earlier this summer at the McCarty-Fickel Home and the Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum), the menu for the fall dinner theatre features a blast from Berthoud’s past. Chefs from Cornerstone Café will recreate the Wayside Inn’s famous fried chicken dinner. The Wayside Inn was a beloved Berthoud restaurant with a national reputation that once sat on the corner of Mountain Avenue and 5^th Street. Note the catered event will be held at two venues this year: the Berthoud Activity Hall at 619 N. 4^th St. and New Freedom Church, an ADA-compliant facility at 250 Mountain Ave.

More than anything, Moon Theatre wants to see newcomers join in the fun. “Theatre people are the best!” said Gruman, while acknowledging the recent struggles of bouncing back from Covid that have affected live theatre groups throughout the region. “The northern Colorado theatre community is bonded. We all trade actors and support one another, but we need to grow the Berthoud scene. Right now we’re having trouble tapping into the younger people.”

When asked how inclusive they are, Gruman brightened. “We take everyone! We do color-blind casting, and…well…we were doing that before Hamilton. We cast all genders, all ethnicities, all faiths. We are LGBTQ friendly, and if I missed any letters, I’m sorry.” The point, and one she made clearly, is that all are welcome at Moon Theatre Company.

“We need the arts!” Gruman added. “We need live theatre, community support and community involvement.”

So if you’re up for an adventure, contact the director, Angie Robbins, at [email protected] and schedule an audition.

Meanwhile, mark your calendars. Performance dates are Oct 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29. For more information on tickets, times and venues, go to https://moon-theatre.com/.