>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Samantha Dotson as Lucy Lovelight, Robin Eschler as Sweet Lotta Bliss and Jennifer Jennings as Clem Stretchette, the bartender, are a few of the students appearing in the Joseph High School Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at Wallowa Lake Lodge playing tonight through Saturday night. (Staff photo/JOYCE OSTERLOH).

WALLOWA LAKE - OK, pardners, dust off those cowboy boots and head up to Wallowa Lake for the Joseph High School Thespians Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, at 6:30 tonight through Saturday night.

The cast of "The Ghost of Tombstone Tom" has Jacob Schoen playing Diamond Jack Masterson, the Pinkerton detective turned sheriff. When Ole Tombstone Tom is murdered and his gold turns up missing, Jack vows to uncover the murderer.

Lilly Belle, played by Ashley Nelthropp, Lucy Lovelight, played by Samantha Dotson, and Sweet Lotta Bliss, Robin Eschler, are the can-can dancers and colorful "ladies of the night" with Clem Stretchette, played by Jennifer Jennings, acting as bartender. Brady Goss as Chester Goodnight tickles the ivories with all your favorite Gay Nineties tunes. Finally, we see the debut of Casey Hayes as young

Buffalo Bob, stand-up comedian extraordinaire.

The setting is The Johnny Cake Lodge and Golden Nugget Saloon in Tombstone, Ariz. The audience will need to ignore the cold and snow outside in suspended disbelief.

Inside the saloon, entertainment abounds. Everyone at the saloon is waiting for the lovely Jenny Nightingale, European singer, to arrive and give a performance.

When Lavinia Lagoon, a temperance leader played by Lizzie Bright, arrives and tries to reform the sinners, sparks begin to fly. The lovely Widow Nellie Bligh, is played by Sadra Beckman, and an object of her affection, the friendly Doc Rawson, is played by Robert Jordan.

This is an audience participatory murder mystery play. As the guests arrive, they are all given names and identities as well as a dossier of clues and bribery money. The lovely hostess, Hester Prine, played by Kayla Schoen, is on hand to guide them safely through the evening.

Directed by Pam Latta and Richelle Chitwood, "The Ghost of Tombstone Tom" has it all —part comedy, part mystery, part melodrama and part musical review.

Tickets are by reservation only and are $15 per person for the dessert theater and $30 per person for the dinner theater. Wallowa Lake Lodge is also offering lodging/meal/theater packages.

Call 541-432-9821 to make your reservation now.