Julia Lane Cooper

So you want to host a Murder Mystery Party with Julia Lane Cooper, huh? Well, you've made a great choice! Your friends, residents, constituents, employees, and whoever else you invite are going to have a wonderful time!

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Below are a series of FAQs and their answers. Further down, you will find a party TIMELINE to help you with every step from Booking to re-Booking! 

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FAQs​

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• What do I get from Julia (& her husband, Doug)?

  • Digital pre-party files:

    • FAQs, Party Set-up & Timeline pdf

    • Personalized Marketing Materials

    • Character Sign-Up Sheet

    • Character Pre-Party Information Sheets

  • All sound equipment required for the show​​​

  • An immersive, interactive themed experience, featuring some of your guests as Characters

  • Songs performed by Julia, the 2025 RGV Female Vocalist of the Year

  • Approximately two hours of comedy, mystery, & lots of laughter

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• What is required of me?​

  • Choose a date, time & party theme

  • Sign a contract, either provided by you or Julia

  • Advertise & Invite. The bigger the party, the more fun we will have!​

  • Print marketing materials, Character Sign-Up Sheet & Character Pre-Party Information Sheets

  • During ticket sales, sign up 12 or 24 residents to play Characters

  • Assign roles & provide Character Pre-Party Information Sheets

  • Provide food & decorations (optional)

  • Get the below information to Julia ASAP after booking

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• ​What information does Julia need from me?

  • We need the following information from you as soon as possible to ensure our marketing is correct, and that we have a successful party:​

    • Event Date & Time​

    • Theme (listed below)

    • Ticket Price

      • Consider entertainer fees, food & decoration costs, profits, etc.​

    • Is food included? Can the food be included in marketing?​

    • Is it open to the public? How does the public get tickets?

    • Do you have a ticket purchasing deadline (sometimes done with dinner shows) or will tickets be sold at the door?

    • Will your show have 12 or 24 Characters (this can be determined during the ticket sales phase)

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• How many people can be accommodated?

  • There is no limit to the number of tickets sold! ​

  • 12 or 24 of your guests must commit to playing a Character

  • Any guest who is not a Character is considered an Observer

  • Characters must purchase a ticket to the show, just like Observers

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• How long does the party last?

  • Parties last about two hours. Actual party time can vary depending on:

    • If you have 12 or 24 Characters​

    • How many Observers you have

    • How interactive / boisterous / off-script your guests are

    • If you are serving food (and how difficult it is to serve)

  • Please note: there is no Intermission during our Murder Mystery parties, so guests are encouraged to utilize the restroom as needed throughout the party; however, Characters are needed to be present and participate for the first 30 minutes & last 60 minutes of the show. They should take a break during the Musical Interlude section, if necessary.​

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• I plan to include food at my party. How does that work?

  • All food & service will be provided by, cooked by, and served by the party host or their designee. Julia Lane Cooper does not provide these services.

  • Food should be served beginning 30 minutes after the event start time, with some leeway allowed for during the show by communication between Julia and/or Doug and the party host or designee.

    • For example, if your guests are typically served food at 5pm, the showtime would be 4:30-6:30pm.​

  • The party host's staff should be able to serve food quickly & easily with little disruption to the show, either by buffet or table service. This usually means that the food should be simple and able to be prepared ahead of time.​

  • Characters should be served first, if possible. Characters should NOT be servers or kitchen crew for this event.

  • The goal is to have all guests served within 30 minutes.

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• ​Who should play a Character? 

  • Anyone who wants to play a Character is invited and welcome to play! Including party hosts!

  • The only requirements are Characters must have the ability to read aloud from a Script Card, and to make some movement around the room (though we can make modifications for mobility issues).

  • Characters should NOT be servers, kitchen crew, or anyone else who has to focus their attention on something other than their role for the duration of the 2-hour party. It is very hard to interrogate someone who is serving food or washing dishes.

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• Do I need to decorate the room?

  • ​Decorations are recommended, but absolutely not required.

  • You are welcome to do as much or as little as you want, but guests usually enjoy the party more when the room has at least a little flare.

  • Some decoration ideas are:

    • Colored tablecloths & simple centerpieces to match the theme

    • A simple backdrop for a photo area

    • Added lights and decor

    • Special plates and/or napkins

  • Think about your theme & choose decorations appropriately​

    • 1920s - black & gold, art deco, tinsel, fake booze crates, old cars​

    • 1950s - blue & white, high school prom decor, dice, jukebox, checkerboard

    • Wild West - red & white, hay bales, fake horses, cowboy hats, bandanas

    • Cruise - tropical colors, leis, coconuts, Hawaiian prints, palm trees, tikis

    • Christmas - Santa, Christmas trees, ugly sweaters, fake candles, fake holly

    • New Year's Eve - black, gold & silver, disco ball, champagne flutes, vases

    • St. Patrick's Day - green & gold, shamrocks, pots of gold, rainbows

    • Mardi Gras - purple, green & gold, beads, fake instruments, parade items

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• How should the room be set up?

  • Julia will perform from the stage or front of the room for the first hour.​

  • We will need an area about 10' x 10' for the Characters to mingle & gossip. This should be set up in front of the stage with tables along the other 3 sides. They should be slightly angled so that all guests can see the stage, the middle area, and the other tables. A diagram will be included in the formal FAQ document provided to party hosts.

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• Are your shows appropriate for all ages?​​

  • Julia's shows are all written as rated G; however, it is possible for some guests to get a little naughty from time to time. It is up to the party host to ​know their core demographic and determine if they will allow younger audience members to enjoy the show.

 

​Host Timeline

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• 1-2 Months Before the Show:

  • Select a Theme

    • If this was not completed during the contract phase, be sure to select a theme from the current list.​

  • Advertise

    • Julia will send custom digital marketing materials for your show. You should hang posters in your community. Post graphics to your social media channels, website, & local groups.

  • Sell Tickets

    • As you sell tickets, ask if the guest would like to play a Character.

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• 1-2 Weeks Before the Show:

  • Pick Your Based on how many people wanted to play a Character, determine if you will be hosting a 12-Character or 24-Character show. Each script is written for precisely this number, so it is crucial that all roles are filled. All other guests to the party will be an Observer. At this time, the host will give each Character an information sheet to help them prepare for the role. The information given here is minimal on purpose. Don't worry, there is more to come!

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Right Before the Show:

Characters will be called to the front of the stage to understand what is required of them, as well as script cards which they will read from throughout the party.

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Act 1:

It's Party Time! In Act 1, Julia will introduce the storyline & the Characters to the Observers. After this, the Characters will interact with other Characters based on their script cards. Once complete, they will take what they said & what they learned and spread gossip around to all of the Observers sitting at tables.

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Musical Interlude:

No party would be complete without music. Julia will sing songs appropriate to the theme. This is the time that hosts will have an optional meal or snacks served. Often guests will eat, drink, dance, listen, and continue to talk about the gossip they heard.

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Act 2:

At some point, someone will probably be murdered (it is a Murder Mystery after all)! Julia will interrogate Characters, standing from their seats within the crowd. They will respond based on their script cards & this is where the fun begins! And, don't worry about our victim...they still get to participate!

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Accusations will start flying. Gossip heard earlier in the night will be revisited while new information comes to light. Improvised lines will come from some of our guests, making each party hilarious and distinctly unique.

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Act 3:

Once all the suspects have been interrogated, Julia will lead party guests to vote for who they think is the murderer. This also typically comes with laughs as some guests decide to weigh in more vocally or even accuse new suspects! Finally, the murderer is revealed and guests leave with fond memories and the excited anticipation of the next time they get to participate in a Murder Mystery Party with Julia Lane Cooper.

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Each theme has unique variations to its storyline. These elements include things like additional clues, interactive dances or party features, special Character actions, and more! These also add to the immersive experience and overall enjoyment of guests!​

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For more information, click one of the buttons below!​