{"id":19454,"date":"2022-05-05T09:29:49","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T13:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/?p=19454"},"modified":"2023-07-07T22:43:23","modified_gmt":"2023-07-08T02:43:23","slug":"get-out-your-spyglasses-and-wineglassesa-new-chapter-of-psmt-begins-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/2022\/05\/05\/get-out-your-spyglasses-and-wineglassesa-new-chapter-of-psmt-begins-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Get out Your Spyglasses and Wineglasses<\/i>:
A New Chapter of PSMT Begins Today<\/br>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Would you drink a wine labeled Arrogant Frog<\/em>? How about Big Ass Red<\/em> or Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Yes, they’re real wines, and just a few of the crazier ones listed in a Vinepair<\/a> <\/em>article titled “10 Of The World\u2019s Weirdest Wine Labels.” And although a recent article in Bloomberg<\/a> <\/em>claims that winemakers use such names “to signal how different their wines are from traditional estates\u2019 conventional vino,” one might wonder if there is more going on.<\/p>\n

And you may well wonder the same while listening to this month’s installment of Prime Stage Mystery Theatre<\/a><\/em>, which opens with twelve characters circling a table in the drawing-room of a Victorian mansion. On the table is a selection of drinks labeled Obnoxious Padre<\/em>, Stained Fork<\/em>, Goofy Odour<\/em>, and Roast’d Knife<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The challenge: determine which drinks are safe and which–if any–have been poisoned.<\/p>\n

Titled “A Most Deadly Poison,” this latest chapter of the Mystery Theatre<\/em> podcast begins today (May 5), two days ahead of the opening night of Prime Stage Theatre’s presentation of Arsenic and Old Lace<\/em><\/a>–the diabolical classic that The New York Times<\/em> called\u00a0 \u201cswift, dry, satirical and excitin<\/a>g<\/a>\u201d upon its initial release, and which is likely to deliver all that and more under the direction of Liam Macik, who previously directed (and wrote) Prime Stage’s 2019 adaptation of The Scarlet Letter<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Liam is also one of the hosts of the horror film podcast Fright Pub<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Arsenic<\/em> opens May 7 at Pittsburgh’s New Hazlett Theatre<\/em>, at which time patrons can drop by a special Mystery Theatre<\/em> display to examine clues from “A Most Deadly Poison.” It should be a fun night.<\/p>\n

Promoted as \u201cthe mystery podcast where you are part of the story,\u201d each Mystery Theatre<\/em> episode concludes with a cliffhanger, question, or prompt that encourages listeners to propose solutions to the mystery or make suggestions regarding what should happen next.<\/p>\n

Since its debut in 2020, the podcast has featured comments from listeners who have offered suggestions ranging from how to enter locked rooms<\/a> to where one might find a devil\u2019s door<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Folks interested in actively taking part in the next Mystery Theatre<\/em> investigation may do so by posting comments at PrimeStage.com\/contact<\/a> or by stopping by the Mystery Theatre<\/em> display on Arsenic<\/em>‘s opening night.<\/p>\n

\"\"Since the stories themselves center on a cast of returning characters, new listeners are encouraged to catch up on past episodes before the new season launches. Those installments include the confounding locked-door who-done-it \u201cA Knavish Piece of Mystery<\/a>\u201d (Episodes 1-5), the missing person mystery \u201cThe Play\u2019s the Thing<\/a>\u201d (Episodes 6-10), the Frankenstein-themed tale \u201cA Trap Full of Monsters<\/a>\u201d (Episodes 11-15), and the time-travel puzzler \u201cTime is Out of Joint<\/a>\u201d (Episodes 16-20).<\/p>\n

Picking up where \u201cTime is Out of Joint\u201d leaves off, \u201cA Most Deadly Poison\u201d opens in a Victorian mansion where nothing is as it seems \u2026 and where an uncorked bottle of wine and a mysterious portrait will lead listeners to uncover a plot of deception and murder.<\/p>\n

All episodes are available free of charge, with folks who enjoy the show encouraged to support Prime Stage Theatre\u2019s mission of \u201cbringing literature to life\u201d by making donations in any amount at primestage.com\/support<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So get out your spyglasses and wineglasses, and join us as PMST<\/em> returns with its most puzzling case ever.<\/p>\n

Click the player below to enter the mystery. I’ll meet you there!<\/p>\n