OCHC to host revamped murder mystery theater on Hill

Between BBC’s “Sherlock” and CBS’s “Elementary,” solving murder mysteries has never looked more appealing, whether for an aspiring detective or an average UCLA college student.

Wednesday, the On-Campus Housing Council will give students the opportunity to solve mock murder cases at Murder Mystery Theater, hosted in Carnesale Commons: Palisades (A-F) at 7 p.m.

Running for its second consecutive year, the program is hosted by the OCHC as an event open exclusively to Hill residents. Similar to an interactive version of the board game “Clue,” Murder Mystery Theater is a narrative involving unknown killers and their victims, presented by Keith & Margo’s Murder Mystery USA.

This year, along with the performance on stage, there will be a full three-course dinner of salad, fettucini alfredo, garlic bread and cupcakes. Residents secured spots to the event by donating meal swipes.

The main coordinator of the event, Abigail Johnson, a second-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, and one of three programming directors for the OCHC, said that the evening will be a competition among the different dining tables of students to solve the mystery onstage, each murder occurring with a new course.

Johnson said that, compared to last year’s hors d’oeuvres, the meal took a lot more preparation, as well as money.

“(The OCHC) hasn’t really served a meal like this. It’s a little bit of a test run, we’ll see how it goes,” Johnson said.

Roberta Hurtado, a second-year political science student, is the external vice president of Sproul Hall. Hurtado, who is involved in advertising the event, said she is excited for the event to outdo last year’s, as students are encouraged to play a much more active role in solving the puzzle. This year is structured so the evening does not end until one of the student dining tables identifies the murderer.

“It may be through the same company, but this year we are stressing student interaction with the mystery,” Hurtado said. “Also, there’s yummy food!”

While the OCHC does have adult advisers, Johnson said that the program was mostly student-organized.

“The adults have to sign off for checks and whatnot, while we’re pushed to do (the planning) ourselves. They are there as a guiding hand to help us get the job done,” Johnson explained.

Between the OCHC and the advisers’ helping hands, interest in the program has already grown from last year. As of Sunday morning, 270 students had signed up for the event, while 130 students attended last year.

Brittany Vasquez, a fourth-year anthropology student who volunteered at last year’s event, is now a programming director for the OCHC, leading a team of about 35 volunteers. The volunteers are involved in setup, serving the meal and cleanup over the course of the night.

“It’s something different to have a nice dinner, as well as putting on an event for the students to get the opportunity to go watch,” Vasquez said.

Both Hurtado and Johnson said that they are looking forward to the show themselves, for the script is still a secret, even to them.

“I’ve never been to a murder mystery-themed event, and I’m excited myself to experience it first hand,” Johnson said.