PHOTOS: Solving a Murder at the Medfield Public Library

There was a murder in the this past Saturday and it was up to members of the community to solve the crime.

The Gazebo Players of Medfield presented "Murder at the Library," a fundraiser for the group to help support the future of Shakespeare at the Park productions and the Medfield Public Library.

Saturday's event went something like this:

Once a year, all the library characters hold the Shakespeare Awards (also known as the “Shakies”) to honor the greatest writer in the library. This year, the public was invited to the ceremony. When guests arrived, they were informed at the beginning of the Shakies that the ceremonies had been cancelled because Cleopatra, one of the nominees for the coveted award for Character of the Year, had been murdered.

Instead of attending the Shakies Ceremony, those in attendance were tasked with figuring out which literary character had committed the murder and what the murder weapon and motive were.

The following characters from your favorite books, plays, poems and movies were on hand to "clue" the guest in as they circulated around the library:

• Harley Quinn (Batman)
• Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind)
• Sleuth - Gwen Cooper (Torchwood)
• Sleuth - Nancy Drew
• James Bond
• Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)
• Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter)
• Snow White
• Dorothy Gale (The Wizard of Oz)
• Lennie Small (of Mice and Men)
• Mulan
• Zorro
• Mrs. Bennett (Pride & Prejudice)
• Albert Einstein
• Harry Potter
• Sleuth
• Groucho Marx
• Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments)
• Pansy Parkinson (Harry Potter)
• Miss Wonderly (The Maltese Falcon)
• Edgar Allan Poe

The characters answered an array of questions from guests, including what they were doing before the murder, and what they saw other characters doing as well. Some famous literally sleuths were on hand to help guests determine which characters they could trust and which were covering their tracks. The guest who first solved the crime won a prize courtesy of the Gazebo Players of Medfield and an honorary Shakie.

Check out scenes from Saturday's "murder" in the photo gallery above. The Gazebo Players of Medfield will hold its 11th Annual Shakespeare in the Park production of "Antony and Cleopatra," on July 28 and 29 at the Medfield Gazebo outside the library at 5 p.m.

About the Gazebo Players of Medfield

Founded in 2002, the mission of the Gazebo Players is to establish a nonprofit source and resource to the residents and businesses of Medfield and the surrounding area. It specifically focuses on community-based cultural development, entertainment and creative expression; opportunities to meet and build friendships with neighbors and other members of the theater community in the area while working together on fun, interesting activities; an enhanced sense of community for all ages and types, including elderly and new residents; chances to mount challenging and enjoyable projects in a collaborative way that require a variety of contributions and skills; opportunities to learn and improve the above; and as platform for tying in and/or publicizing business and civic organizations through partnership and/or advertisement in the Medfield area. The Gazebo Players of Medfield is a proud member of the town's Cultural District.