Three students, a beatnik friend and a government investigator.
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Interactive Musical-Comedy Murder Mystery
Johnny B. Dead
The sock hop has a security clearance problem.
A high school near Area 69, 1957
School spirit meets national security.
Neither is especially well informed.The Mystery
Great hair. Bad chemistry. Top-secret trouble.
Johnny Armstrong is an all-American high-school student with perfect hair and dreams of becoming a G-Man. Joanie Chachi wants him to notice her. His beatnik friend Bongo is in no hurry to graduate. Exchange student Popov Smirnov is working on a rather alarming chemistry project.
Government investigator Jack Storm arrives looking for the source of a leak to the Soviets. At a school near Area 69, suspicious accents, explosive science and Johnny’s fascination with flying saucers are more than enough to turn a routine day into an interrogation.
The sock hop brings everyone together—and gives the audience a mystery to solve. Guests must distinguish teenage distraction from real danger before the last act clears up the case.
At a Glance
Built for a room full of suspects.
Classroom intrigue, the sock hop and the solution.
Two designated guests lead brief school-day exchanges.
A high school near the secretive Area 69.
The Audience Has a Role
The class is in session. The whole room can investigate.
Two guests become Miss Grumpy, the homeroom teacher, and Principal Victoria, who introduces the government’s special visitor. Their short exchanges bring the audience directly into the school day.
After the murder, Johnny invites the room to question the surviving characters. Every guest can test a theory before the final act explains what happened.
Meet the Characters
Five performers.
A roomful of motives.
Johnny Armstrong
An all-American student who would rather become a G-Man than a boyfriend.
Joanie Chachi
A determined teenager hoping to win Johnny’s attention.
Bongo
Johnny’s beatnik best friend, with no urgent plans to graduate.
Popov Smirnov
An exchange student with a heavy accent and explosive scientific ambitions.
Jack Storm
A government investigator hunting a spy and struggling with a peculiar dance reflex.
Read & Produce
Open the case.
Read the 21-page excerpt, explore the complete script on New Play Exchange, or request a reading copy directly.
The excerpt is available here without registration. The complete script is available to NPX subscribers, or by requesting a reading copy. For production inquiries, contact Butch Maxwell.
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