Have you ever wanted to act? Felt like you missed your true calling to the theater? Or just wanted to stand up in front of a room full of strangers and release your inner Tina Fey or Jerry Seinfeld? Well, the Black Fedora Comedy Mystery Theatre is your chance.
Located right in the center of the Charleston's historic district, the Black Fedora offers almost nightly comedy-mystery plays in which the audience takes a starring role. After getting comfortable at your assigned table and ordering a few drinks and appetizers, before the play begins, one of the professional actors comes out and asks for volunteers. This is your chance to shine. The actor assigns roles and hands out scripts with your lines highlighted. After a few minutes to review your lines and place some last minutes drinks for courage, the fun begins.
While the scripts are humorous in and of themselves, much of the laughter comes from the actors recruited from the audience. Some of the volunteer actors are just amazing, with either remarkable natural talent, or some real acting chops. Some, on the other hand, shouldn't quit their day jobs. I'll put myself and my 11-year-old son in that last category. But, boy, did we laugh a lot.
It's a lot of fun for families with older school-aged kids and teenagers. Not all plays are appropriate for families with children, however, and the toddler and preschool set probably wouldn't have the stamina to stay seated for the whole performance, which is a must because of all the madcap running around that goes on. Make sure you ask about which plays are best for families when you call for reservations.
For those families with the acting bug, who knew that your vacation to Charleston could be such a fun place to get up on stage? That's when the fun starts!
