Posted: January 30, 2025 11:35 am
There’s been a murder at the museum, and Heritage Johnstown needs the public’s help to solve it! An interactive murder mystery, “Death in the Library: 2nd Annual Murder Mystery” will take place at 6:30 pm on Sat., Mar. 1 at the Heritage Discovery Center.
The event was originally planned for the Johnstown Flood Museum because of the building’s history as the Cambria Library. Unfortunately, a water leak caused by the recent extreme cold forced Heritage Johnstown to close the museum temporarily, necessitating the move.
“We are fortunate that nothing of historic significance was damaged in the leak. We expect the museum to be closed for several weeks – not months – but March 1 is coming up quickly, so we made the call to move this event,” said Deb Winterscheidt, development director for JAHA. “It will be the same great game, in a different but still great location.”
Participants will tour the Heritage Discovery Center to solve the mystery as actors present the story. JR Hartley and his agent, Paige Turner, were hoping for a big turnout for the book signing of his latest, ‘Fly Fishing in Southwestern Pennsylvania’, However, before the book signing could commence, JR Hartley was discovered dead in the Local History section, trapped between the moving shelves!
Contrary to popular belief, Hartley wasn’t actually old enough to have died of natural causes. It looks like somebody’s fingers did the talking and choked the life out of him! But who could have wanted this harmless man dead, and why?
Tamera Gindlesperger Fisher and Rebekah Hurley will direct an all-star cast that includes Mike Beech, Ben Berkebile, Kate Davis, Bowen Fisher, Christina Fosbrink, Sam Johns, and Troy Smajda. Clues will be placed all over the museum, while participants move through and question the suspects. Marty Radovanic, a veteran local journalist who is currently an anchor for WTAJ-10, will play the part of the detective who reveals the solution.
“We had such a wonderful time with last year’s murder mystery that we knew this had to become an annual event,” Winterscheidt added. “People were raving about it and asking when the next one would be scheduled, and we’re delighted to be bringing it back for what will now be an annual event.”
Doors will open at 6:30 pm, and pianist Joshua Ben will provide jazz music as guests enjoy a cocktail hour (cash bar serving period cocktails) and heavy hors d’oeuvres. The game will commence at 7:30 pm. Guests are encouraged to wear era-appropriate attire.
Tickets are $65 for JAHA members, $75 for non-members, and are available online. Sponsorship levels are also available. For more information, contact Deb Winterscheidt at 814-539-1889 x312, or dwinterscheidt@heritagejohnstown.org.
About the players:
Tamera Gindlesperger Fisher, director: Tamera got her start at The Mountain Playhouse in 1985 and was most recently cast in their 2023 summer production of Nunsense. She has been seen in numerous film and television spots including Strangers With Candy, The Conan O’Brien Show, Manna From Heaven, All My Children, and her favorite and most local role…Missy Kreitzer, in the internet comedy series Greg and Donny, which won the IFC Out of the Box award at the New York Television Festival. Tamera is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She is currently the director of the North Star High School Musical and executive director of The Mandatory Theater Company.
Joshua Ben: Music educator Joshua Ben studied jazz at Duquesne and later at the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently working on his debut album as a bandleader. Josh is the co-founded the band Jazz Trip in 2011 and can be heard regularly in and around the area with a variety of musical acts. His mission is to bring new appreciation to both young and old audiences to the art of improvisation.