When Loudonville couple Steven and Diane O’Connor participate in fundraisers, there is usually bloodshed.
The two help area nonprofit organizations by putting on murder mysteries, complete with elements any avid Clue gamer would recognize: a murderer, a motive and a weapon. As for who done it, that is up to the audience to discover.
For nearly 20 years, O’Connor’s Murder by Design has been hosting murder mysteries at local not-for-profit charity organization headquarters, helping create a fun fundraising event that community members would be excited about participating in. Since the company began, it has helped local organizations raise more than $200,000, according to Steven O’Connor.
Murder by Design supplies the actors and actresses, props, clues and story, and attendees supply the funds that go to the charitable organization.
Steven O’Connor, who co-owns Murder by Design, with his wife, Diane, said the idea to create the company was born after the two went to a murder mystery event, which they had to pay to attend.
It was interesting, he said. `But I remember Diane said, ‘We can do better than this!’`
O’Connor said he and his wife were confident they could create a better murder mystery based on their professional backgrounds: He has experience in criminal science and she has forensics experience through her job as a nurse.
So, in 1989, the couple wrote their first murder mystery for a fundraiser at the Pruyn House, in Colonie. They brought in the actors, who were mostly friends from community theater, and Diane sewed most of the costumes herself. On March 11, 1989, they acted out `Murder at the Pruyn.`
The mystery, O’Connor said, was based on the historical facts surrounding the Pruyn House, including real characters, such as Casparus Pruyn and President Chester Arthur, who, according to O’Connor, had lived in Colonie.
Since that first event at Pruyn House, Murder by Design has gone on to present other mysteries at other locations, including Whiskers, St. Paul’s Center for the Homeless Women and local churches, historic mansions and libraries. The next murder mystery the company will be producing will be held at Our Brother’s Keeper Foundation, an agency located in Albany that helps the local HIV-positive population.
But no matter what organization is hosting the murder mystery event, the cost remains the same ` nothing.
The time ` roughly a month to write the murder mystery story, plus preparation time for the mystery ` costumes, actors, mileage and props are all supplied by the O’Connors.
`I think it’s important to pay back when you’ve been fortunate,` said O’Connor.
O’Connor said Murder by Design does pay the actors for working the mysteries and does pay for some of the costumes and props, an average of $1,000 per murder mystery, but that he and his wife have been blessed with good jobs and have made good investments, and they are happy to be able to help others.
Deanna Stickles-Bach, 30, of Colonie, said she has been acting with Murder by Design for the past four years, and she does it because it is a lot of fun.
`So much of it is improvised, where we pretty much get a character and are just able to go with it,` she said. `The actors have as much fun as the people do. It really is an actor’s dream.`
Aside from the fun, Stickles-Bach said the fact that she is helping a charitable organization while acting is a bonus.
`That really makes it all the better. Knowing that [we] are providing a service,` she said.
In her other life, Stickles-Bach runs Drama Kids International, a drama school for children throughout the Capital District ages 3 to 18.
Carol Jones, another actress for Murder by Design and an employee of the William K. Sanford Library, said she enjoys the mysteries because it is nice being able to dress up in costume and see people she knows from her personal life while helping bring people together for a good cause.
`You’d be surprised how many people you run into at these events,` she said.
While the word `economy` seems to be a deterrent for many businesses that otherwise spend money helping charitable organizations in the past, O’Connor said the current state of the economy will not stop Murder by Design, and instead, has inspired them to consider expanding to smaller parties in which they include a dinner as well.
There would still be no cost to the organization.
`It’s just from us,` said O’Connor. `We call it ‘pass it on.’`
For information, visit www.murderbydesign.info.“