HOPE — You could say that Columbus resident Jason Bowser has a killer creativity.
In the past few months, he has played an irritable Scrooge and a grooving Elvis impersonator in separate shows.
Now, in the latest Passion for Acting Theatre Company production "A Murder is Served," opening today in Hope, Bowser is original playwright, co-director, and a police detective cast member.
One nearly has to wonder how he missed out on perhaps the roles of stage manager and ticket taker.
He laughs over his multifaceted ways and blames the influence of his family background. His mother, in her late ’60s, recently learned guitar and sings in a band. And his father always was a taskmaster of sorts valuing excellence. Bowser acknowledged that that background combination and inspiration works well in community theater often requiring broad experience.
"My mom was always what I would call a wild child," he said. "Whenever she comes to town, we go together to do karaoke."
Bowser wrote the comedy-tinged "A Murder is Served" in about three weeks after he and troupe founder Connie Kiviniemi-Baylor of Columbus originally aimed to assemble a script as a duo, as they have done for children’s skits at First Christian Church. Kiviniemi-Baylor, partly hoping to help the organization’s COVID-affected budget by avoiding copyright and licensing fees for the latest presentation, found her tank empty.
"My plan was to help," she said. "But I discovered I had not one ounce of creativity at the time."
In the eight-character show, a billionaire tech company owner discovers a couple of associates’ plans to take him down and begins his own plotting at a dinner he hosts for them, complete with a major announcement.
One newsy tidbit: The owner’s son has launched his own competing tech company but is with an unscrupulous business partner.
The plot twists considerably in an even more pretzel-like fashion from there until someone winds up dead and the audience is left to ponder the murderer.
Bowser, who grew up on murder stories as varied and over-the-top as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Silent Night, Deadly Night," fell in love with movie mayhem at a young age.
"We were a big movie household," he said. "Unfortunately, I got desensitized to a lot at a very young age. So when people talk about scary movies coming out, I sometimes will say, ‘No — that one isn’t scary.’ Now — watching them maybe at age 6 or 7? That’s what I call scary.
"The good part of what all that has done for me is in taking my ideas and encouraging me to be more creative."
As a writer, Bowser had a mapped-out storyline that eventually meandered far from his original intent.
"It surprised me even as I was writing it," Bowser said. "I just enjoyed the characters and let them take me (on a journey)."
Organizers mentioned that early ticket sales have been strong, with at least one showtime more than half sold-out a week ago (still-limited seating is expected to be an attendance of 80 people per show).
If the interest is strong enough, Bowser said he is interested in more writing.
This marks the first full, original production at Willow Leaves of Hope in five years, organizers said. Bowser called it satisfying as opening night approaches, and he was vulnerable enough to call it one thing more because of his varied roles.
"This," he said, "has been the most draining production I have ever been in."
What: Passion for Acting Theatre Company presenting Jason Bowser’s original comic murder mystery "A Murder Is Served" in a dinner theater format.
When: 6 p.m. today and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday; following weekend schedule is 6 p.m. June 11 and 12 and 1 p.m. June 13.
Where: Willow Leaves of Hope, 326 Jackson St. in Hope.
Cast: Connie Kiviniemi-Baylor, Jason Bowser, Cori Brod, Stephen Planalp, Mendy Fisher, Horace Tucker, Marty Jorgensen, and Falicia Whited.
Cost: $30 for dinner and play.
Information and reservations; 812-546-0640.
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Original show 'A Murder Is Served' opens today in Hope - The Republic
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