This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
For generations of Atlantans, Agatha’s A Taste of Mystery was the place to celebrate birthdays and to impress out-of-town guests. Opened in 1988 across from the Fox Theatre, the dinner theater was listed in just about every guidebook for visitors, even attracting celebrities for five-course dinners and interactive performances.
The dinner theater became a place where rising actors could get their start. Some would remain in the cast for years, even after finding larger roles in theaters such as Dad’s Garage and the Alliance Theatre or in Georgia’s growing film community. Agatha’s alumnus Randy Havens, for example, would go on to appear on “Stranger Things,” and Amber Nash lent her voice to the popular animated series “Archer.”
“We’re all independent, working actors based in Atlanta. Between us, we’ve logged years in professional theater across Georgia, and many of us also rack up credits in film, TV and voice-over,” said Katie Kneeland, also an alumna of Agatha’s.
Credit: Photo by Randi Tucker
Credit: Photo by Randi Tucker
After a brief foray into Toco Hill shopping center at the restaurant Petite Auberge, the theater operated from Peachtree Center from 2005. Following a yearlong pause during the pandemic, Agatha’s shut its doors for good in mid-2021, leaving fans and actors unsure of what would come next.
“It was just a bunch of uncertainty, honestly,” recalled actor Jamie Moore, who joined the company in 2010. “When the shutdown happened, we didn’t think Agatha’s was going to fold because we had no idea.”
But that wasn’t the end of the Agatha’s family. By September 2021, the group moved to the Bourdeaux Room at Petite Violette, a 50-year-old restaurant that merged with Petite Auberge in 2016. The eatery was already renowned for its fine French fare, and the dinner theater component was a natural fit.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
“I’ve been in every show since at Petite Violette because it’s the same core group of creatives who were carried over,” Moore said.
Now known as Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem, the three-hour dinner theater programs are performed twice every weekend, with shows that rotate quarterly and typically highlight some element of pop culture, including, most recently, a spin on the Marvel Cinematic Universe titled, “Revengers Disassembled: Multiverse of Murder,” which runs through mid-November. Audience participation is also a big part of the experience. The next show at Petite Violette, a holiday performance titled, “Murder on 34th Street,” starts Nov. 14.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Petite Violette
Credit: Photo courtesy of Petite Violette
“Everyone has something to do, even if it’s a group part. And the stage itself is the entire dining room. So it’s complete immersion inside the story,” said Moore, who writes and directs some of the productions.
Kneeland pointed out the scripts hold more than mysteries. “We satirize the shows and movies everyone’s talking about,” she said. “From superheroes to streaming sensations, we take what’s in pop culture and give it a mischievous twist.”
Plus, beyond the actors, “Every night, the audience becomes part of the story,” Kneeland said. “They take on roles, help move the mystery forward — and, honestly, no two shows are ever the same.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Moore said there’s no one type of customer for the dinner shows. “We see so many different people from so many different backgrounds.”
A common denominator is an interest in a different kind of dinner out. A willingness to participate helps, too.
“We’re creating something you can’t just binge at home,” Kneeland said. “You must come here, sit down, eat well, laugh a lot and help us solve the mystery.”
IF YOU GO
Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem
7:30 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday. Show and four-course French meal with a glass of wine: $75 each plus tax and gratuity. Petite Violette, 2948 Clairmont Road NE, Atlanta. 404-634-6268, petitevioletterestaurant.com.
Caroline Eubanks is an award-winning travel and culture writer from Atlanta. She’s the author of two books, including “A Boozy History of Atlanta: People, Places & Drinks that Made a City.” Her work has also appeared in Atlanta magazine and Garden & Gun.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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