Bless This Bread

Here's the perfect play to use as a fund-raiser, an audience-participation mystery, or entertainment for your own special dinner event. Rev. Longacre is gathering a small group of church members at a potluck dinner to broach the subject of starting a building fund. Duty-bound Hazel arrives first to set up everything and tell the Reverend she hasn't yet found out who's been sending him anonymous love letters. Jenny, a local politician, and Cornelia, a local poet, arrive next, followed by Annie, the church secretary who is hiding something under her coat, and it's not a covered dish. Malcomb, who will head the building drive, arrives and is followed by the most liberal member of the congregation, Della. The last to enter is the richest woman in town, Lillian Kingsley. Before Rev. Longacre is able to give his two-hundred-plus reasons for the drive, Lillian startles the members by saying she is giving the church $1.5 million in jewelry so there won't even need to be a fund drive. All are stunned. But when Lillian's purse is retrieved from the cloakroom, it is empty of jewels. A thief has struck! Well-versed by reading so many mystery novels, Rev. Longacre begins an investigation that leads his church members - and yours! - to unveil the culprit who has made good use of the covered-dish supper. (A complete description of clues for the audience to find is included at the end of the script.) About 70 minutes.