The Man Behind the Mystery (café

By PAT GARRY Guest Contributor

The Man Behind

theMystery (café)

The Mystery Cafe is the Twin Cities’ longest running interactive comedy dinner theater, founded in 1989. Owner Brian Kelly and his staff, write and craft their own, original shows and employ some of the best interactive comedians in town. The shows are fast-paced comedies first and foremost; but there is a mystery to solve as well! The Mystery Cafe is close to deciding on a date for a return engagement at Owatonna Country Club. The parties involved are thinking circa end of April, first part of May. Check the Mystery Cafe website for updates (www. themysterycafe.com). (Recently, I visited with Mr. Kelly)

Scene Magazine: How long have you been involved in this, and what inspired you to pursue it?

BK: I started as an actor with the company in 1994. I had done some improv, but really learned my comedy chops working with The Mystery Cafe. Years later an opportunity came to purchase the company when the previous owner sought to retire, and I’ve had the privilege of carrying the torch since 2016.

SM: Do you work at any other jobs other than this business?

BK: I was the Entertainment Director for the St. Paul Saints until I took over the Mystery Cafe. I still perform with the Saints as an “On-Field Correspondent/Host”

SM: What is the process for hiring your actors/ employees?

BK: There is an audition process, but we have a pretty deep bench of actors, and I spend a fair amount of time seeking out talent. Kind of like a baseball scout. I go to see shows, and network to see what talent is out there. We are genuinely looking for the best of the best, and more often than not, our auditions are by invitation.

SM: How do you decide which play(s), shows you will perform?

BK: I will conceive of a show, and usually that starts with an environment. Our last few shows have taken place on the set of a 70’s holiday variety show, an all-class High School Reunion,

and a Hollywood Award show, a la The Oscars or the Golden Globes. I like to start with a situation that people can imagine or are familiar with. Once I have a theme in place, I decide on a collaborator - someone who I think will have a good sense about the material. I prefer to work with a writing partner, as I think collaboration almost always yields better results. If you and your partner are laughing while you’re writing, it’s a pretty good sign that the audience will laugh as well.

SM: What methods do you use for acquiring bookings?

BK: Typically, we have two different general public shows, running November through February; we also have private corporate/team building shows as well as an online show which are available year ‘round.

SM: Approximately how many performances do you have in a year?

BK: The pandemic has thrown off our average considerably, but we did around 50-60 shows in 2019-2020.

SM: What are the most challenging things in “doing what you do”?

BK: Our biggest challenge, really, is getting people to understand what it is that we do. People hear “Murder Mystery” and they think it’s going to involve...work. Like, “Will I be writing the whole time? Will I have to pay attention? Do I need a hat?” The truth is, we’re simply presenting comedy shows with a theme and the mystery provides the reason for the audience to be involved. Guests are given “mystery money” so they can bribe characters for more information; and the dinner is served during breaks in the show, which makes it a very social evening as well. It’s a night of delicious food and a ton of laughs, but that’s not always easy to convey in an “elevator pitch.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Brian Kelly, Owner-The Mystery Cafe; Direct: 763-566-2583; www.themysterycafe.com

SM: What are the most rewarding things in “doing what you do”?

BK: Making people laugh. That’s really what we set out to do. Right now, I think we ALL need a good laugh. From the moment we sit down to write, to the rehearsal process, to the performance, we are committed to giving our guests an evening they will remember. And the greatest compliment is that we get a lot of families and groups that come to see us year after year.

SM: Can you share a couple of interesting anecdotes about an experience that occurred at one or more of your performances?

BK: I remember a woman once telling me that her husband had passed away a bit ago, and she hadn’t had much reason to smile let alone laugh lately. She said that, for her, the show was cathartic. We never know what people bring with them to the show. Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they’re celebrating an anniversary. The same laughs mean different things to different people. We try to keep that in mind and make every show special. We had one night where the audience started an impromptu conga line that went all around the room. It was not a scripted thing, and it was probably the most hilarious memorable thing about that show! And that’s just it; if we can create an environment where the audience feels free to have that much fun, we’ve really done our job. 