Get Your Gumshoe Going with Citizen Detective

Mixing mystery, theater and collaborative code breaking, Citizen Detective, now virtually showing through February 7 via the Geffen Stayhouse, lets guests participate as detectives throughout the evening.

Twenty-four guests are divided into detective groups based on a personality quiz and asked to help solve a real 1920s cold case Hollywood murder. Each group is assigned one of six suspects.

Guided by true-crime author Micki McKittrick (Mike Ostroski) with Andrea (Paloma Nozicka), a super fan who interrupts McKittrick to move the story along, the audience of virtual sleuths try to solve the murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor. There are plenty of clues and suspects and with the help of McKittrick and Andrea they are evaluated and ruled out via chats, clues and screen sharing. There is also a surprise celebrity appearance which didn’t quite fit into the plotline but was entertaining while their on screen presence lasted.

Combining history, mystery and the virtual experience, homebound sleuths will enjoy this interactive take on solving a cold case murder.

Also currently streaming is the Geffen performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with actor Jefferson Mays playing over 50 roles. Ticketing for this production can be purchased from On the Stage streaming via the Geffen Playhouse website portal.

Citizen Detective is streaming now through February 7, run time 85 minutes, $65 per household, Internet access and Zoom required, tickets at https://www.geffenplayhouse.org.