A murder mystery is landing on a Collingwood stage this Friday the 13th.
Puppeteer Adam Francis Proulx is bringing his award-winning solo show The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery to the Simcoe Street Theatre on Oct. 13. Directed by Canadian Comedy Award-winner Byron Laviolette, the show was written by Proulx who was inspired by his pandemic experiences.
“I love true crime. There was a point in the pandemic where I was like, I cannot listen to any more things about murder,” Proulx told CollingwoodToday, with a laugh.
Proulx grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and currently calls Toronto home, although he clarifies he does a lot of travelling with his various shows, and does puppet work on The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy.
The Family Crow has celebrated sold-out runs at the Orlando, Winnipeg, and Toronto Fringes Festivals.
“Mostly, I focus on puppet theatre for adults,” said Proulx. “I’ve been a one-man band for a long time – I write the shows, build the puppets and perform the shows.”
With the collective pronoun for crows being a ‘murder,’ Proulx felt it was fitting to perform, essentially, a murder murder mystery.
“It’s very silly. It’s 14+. There’s no swearing, but it is about homicide,” Proulx said with a laugh. “It’s a bonafide mystery.”
While he says puppets are traditionally a format that is geared toward children, he finds joy in seeing adults get engaged with his shows.
“There’s something about puppetry that is disarming to an audience. Back in the vaudeville days, you’d have ventriloquism. The puppet can get away with saying something the person might not be able to,” he said. “There’s almost a softening or distancing effect that allows people to receive information in a different way.”
Proulx had previously performed in Collingwood with his show Baker’s Dozen: 12 Angry Puppets in 2015, and is looking forward to returning to the area.
“I had a great time. I love the town. Whenever I need a little break from Toronto, I drive up there,” he said.
All the stops on The Family Crow tour include:
- Oct. 5 – Gravenhurst
- Oct. 7 – Kitchener
- Oct. 13 – Collingwood
- Oct. 20 – Aurora
- Oct. 26 – Orillia
- Oct. 27 – Oshawa
- Oct 28 – Stratford
“I hope the audience that comes is ready to play and see something weird like they’ve never seen before,” said Proulx.
The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery will be running at the Simcoe Street Theatre on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
