Everyone's a Suspect - if you ask nicely

The most common question we get from hosts when setting up our You Play mysteries is “How do I choose who plays the suspects?”.

The answer, generally, is “just ask,” but there are things to consider when asking, too.

Introvert, Extrovert - ask everyone

We recommend asking everyone who’s attending your event. Never assume that someone won’t want to do play a character. I started running mystery events because of my introversion and feelings of social shyness. I hated going to parties without a good reason to be there or something to do when I arrived. For some introverts, playing a suspect is a great way for them to ease into a party and have a reason to talk to people they don’t know. More than two-thirds of the actors we work with are introverts - extroversion is not a necessary trait to be a suspect. Giving an introvert like me a direct task or objective can remove some of the social anxiety.

In contrast, some extroverts hate being constrained to a character. Some will want to talk and interact how they choose. They may want to lead their own investigation, talk to all their fellow guests and throw themselves into their own role as an ace detective.

Be specific

Your personal request to your guests will go a long way to get volunteers. You are asking them directly - so avoid something that is an obvious group email if you can. In her Ted Talk, Heidi Grant gives advice about being specific when asking for help. When seeking out suspects for our events, you are asking for someone:

• to read a character outline before the event (10-20 minutes of reading)

• to speak in front of a group at the start of the investigation by reading a few words off a page

• to be main part of the focus of the mystery for a while

• to be at the event a little early - as the mystery can’t start without them

• to read out loud the finale from a script - no lines to memorize

Ask people about a month to six weeks in advance. This gives you time to receive responses and has the added benefit of reminding people about the great event they have coming up.

Say what you don’t need

Then make it clear what you are not asking them to do. Everyone is trying to solve the mystery and find out whodunnit, both suspects and non-suspects alike. So you are not asking them to remove themselves from the detective part of the game.

You are also not asking them to deceive. In most of our mysteries, the guilty party is not revealed until the end - and is a surprise to that player as much as everyone else. Not everyone can lie and play innocent to friends, family and colleagues for 90 minutes. So we remove this pressure by just giving the players their alibis.

You are not asking them to be great actors. You don’t need everyone to be a masterful chameleon who dissolves into the role of a 1920s casino janitor who’s actually a private eye with an orphanage to save. You just need someone who can share their information and be willing to answer questions.

You aren’t asking them to memorize thousands of words. Enigmatic Events will provide print-outs of the information that the suspects can refer to during the game as necessary. Our mystery plots may be complex, but no one person needs to memorize the full time line of events.

In your ask, let people know that it’s not mandatory. It’s not a condition of attendance to be a suspect, it’s just something you’d appreciate help with to make the event go well. You want them to attend your event and have fun - and this is a possible way that might make it fun for them.

Get volunteers - and cast them

Once you have your volunteers, then it’s time to cast the volunteers to the suspects. We are always happy to help once you have volunteers to cast people. Just drop us an email or arrange a short call with us. We can give suggestions about the characters to you without giving away too much to the plot so you can still play along. Deciding who’s who in the cast list is for me one of the more fun parts of planning a murder mystery party.

In summary - ask everyone, ask directly, and be super clear what you are asking them to do - especially the small but important time commitment