*PRESS RELEASE* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 8/19/16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contact: Andrew Rothman From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre 40 River Street Chagrin Falls, OH 44122 Phone: 440-247-8955 E-mail: cvlt@cvlt.org <mailto:cvlt@cvlt.org> Website: www.cvlt.org <http://www.cvlt.org/> CVLT's popular annual "Murder by the Falls" event to take place September 9 & 10 CHAGRIN FALLS, OH - Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will commence its 87th consecutive season with the annual /Murder by the Falls/ event on September 9th and 10th, 2016. This event has served as CVLT's major fund raiser for over 30 years, and marks the official beginning of a packed calendar that includes musicals, plays, and a variety of special events over the next twelve months. While the ticket proceeds from the theater's regular performances go largely toward the cost of mounting the productions themselves, the money raised from /Murder by the Falls/ goes to the theater's general operating and facilities expenses, and is the venerable non-profit's biggest fund raiser of the year. The format of the event has remained roughly the same over the years as it has grown in popularity, often selling to capacity. The evening begins with a pre-show hors d'oeuvre reception with a wine and beer cash bar, followed by Act I, in which the crime is committed. During intermission, the audience prowls N. Franklin and Main Streets in Chagrin Falls Village looking for clues hidden in the shop windows, and interviews live actors to gain additional info about the suspects. A catered dessert buffet with complimentary coffee and wine follows, where audience members fill in answer sheets with their best guesses. The evening completes with the revealing of the killer's identity in Act II and prizes being awarded to the winning team. Each edition of /Murder by the Falls/ is an original comedy/mystery written and performed by the theater's friends. This year's script, entitled "Telethon of Trouble and The Blossomtini" is penned by newcomers Carol Dolan and Marianne Veniero (a member of CVLT's RSVP in-house improv troupe). Director Kourtney Daugherty brings the show to the stage. The dastardly plot involves a fictional CVLT telethon, with an array of scheming theater executives, local notables, and con artists serving as the phone screeners. The titular "Blossomtini" is a popular cocktail with a recipe worth committing a crime over. The suspicious cast features Cleveland's own Jan Jones as "Joan Johns," along with CVLT regulars Kris Tesar, Michael Rogan, Eric Oswald, Don Bernardo, Brianna Arko, Elyse Mulvaney, Claire Mulvaney, and Emma Moughan. Cristy Wright and Steven R. Tiderman are on the case as Detective Shaw and crime novelist Richard Palace. Tickets for "Telethon of Trouble and The Blossomtini" are $65 per person, with 50% of that cost being a tax-deductible donation to Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. Tickets are available by phone at 440-247-8955, Monday through Saturday from 1-6 PM. Audiences for /Murder by the Falls/ are grouped into teams of eight 'detectives,' and are therefore encouraged to reserve for their entire party at once if possible. Complete details on CVLT's 87th Season are available online at www.CVLT.org. The theater is located at 40 River Street in historic Chagrin Falls Village, and is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture and supported by the Ohio Arts Council. ### -- Drew Rothman *Chagrin Valley Little Theatre* CVLT.org <http://www.CVLT.org> twitter.com/chagrintheatre <http://www.twitter.com/chagrintheatre> facebook.com/chagrintheatre <http://www.facebook.com/chagrintheatre>