Renegade Rip

Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Lisa Vargas Nevada Slade, played by Logan Valasquez, tells Logan marks, 9, that he did no have anything to do with one of the murders.

Col. Mustard wasn't in attendance, but there were plenty of suspects at the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History on Oct. 6.
The museum had a "murder mystery" fundraising event put on by the actors at downtown Bakersfield's Spotlight Theater.
Several "murders" occurred during a gala for the lost city of Budidesh, which was really the Yokut Native American dwelling area put up last year by the museum, and everyone in attendance had to figure out which of the actors did it.
Detective Brick Johnson, played by Don Kurszka, was originally called out by Buena Vista director Koral Hancharick, playing herself, to investigate a missing megalodo fossil during the Budidesh "gala."
Arrogant archaeologist Nevada Slade, played by Phil Valasquez, in attendance with his alcoholic mother Marie Slade, played by Cheryl Smith Ellis, claimed to have discovered the lost city of Budidesh. However, his colleague James Ivory, played by Seth Schott, resented this assertion, claiming he found Budidesh and that Nevada "couldn't find the toy in a Cracker Jack box."
Also at the gala was museum "curator" Winifred Worthington III, played by Julie Jordan Scott. She "acquired" the museum from her deceased husband Walter Worthington, who had a good relationship with Nevada Slade as a child and may have slept with Marie.
After all of the characters had introduced themselves to the audience, a large scream could be heard from downstairs. Detective Johnson rushed down to the scene to find James laying face down in the dirt next to the missing fossil. Detective Johnson declared him dead.
Detective Johnson cleared everyone from downstairs after butchering the names of the megalodon fossil, which he called a "Megadeth" fossil, and the lost city of Budidesh, which he called "balderdash," "Budapest," "Bangladesh" and others. The audience went upstairs where dinner was served.
Before dinner, Nevada showed off the Budidesh exhibit and declared himself "the greatest archaeologist in the world." During dinner, the characters sat and conversed with the audience, answering any questions they had and establishing their alibis. Mrs. Worthington and Marie Slade argued with each other periodically during the night.

Continued...

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