TAC solves 'Who Killed Santa Claus?'

Death threats from obsessed fans are a common occurrence for celebrities.

The Acting Company's latest play "Who Killed Santa Claus?" is a murder-mystery centered on this idea, with a talk-show host threatened with death during the holiday season.

"Who Killed Santa Claus?" begins Friday and runs to Dec. 20.

As is typical of a murder mystery, the audience will continually be guessing who the murderer is. But Gail Carter, the play's director, said solving the mystery won't be easy.

"All through the play, you will not figure out whodunit," she said. "I guarantee you won't figure it out. You'll think you'll have it, but you'll be wrong."

The talk-show host at the center of "Who Killed Santa Claus?" is Barbara Love (played by Sharon McLeod). She hosts a popular children's TV show in San Francisco in 1970.

Every year, she hosts a party at her house on Christmas Eve, but this year's party is overshadowed by a death threat she receives in the form of a coffin with a doll dressed like Barbara inside. She also receives a strange message on her answering machine stating someone at her party will murder her.

Barbara and her assistant, Connie Bell (Catrina McCaffrey), contact the police, which send Detective Christopher Moore (John Buffey) to investigate.

During the course of his investigation, Moore decides he will pose as an old friend of Barbara's at the party to observe the guests, all of whom work with Barbara on her TV show.

There's her producer, Jack Campbell Barnes (Brian Monette); her director, Paul Reston (Timothy Fraher); her writer, Donald Lewis (Ted Shadle); and her makeup artist, Ray Lacey (Kevin Heller).

During the party, a man claiming to be from her publicity department, Dave Ogden (Alex Cesena), joins the party.

All have a motive to murder Barbara. But the identity of the killer, of course, will not be revealed until the end.

The play also contains some adult language and is recommended for those older than 13.

"I worked with this show 20 years ago and had never seen it done again," Carter said. "So I decided the Acting Company needed a murder-mystery — something other than a comedy, a drama or a musical."