The human psyche, susceptible as it is to the phases of the moon and the shifting tides, is no less impressed by the malevolent imagery of blackening clouds, gale-tossed waves pounding on rocks, mighty oaks bending and breaking under the impact of a nightmare storm, and the ghastly studies in brightness and shadow cast by flashes of lightning onto vine-covered walls of an ancient mansion. Hugh Winthrop died on just such a night. Accidental deaths and ordinary murders take place daily beneath the shining sun or in the gentle gloom of a moonlit night. Not so the death of Old Man Winthrop. In life he had sown chaos to reap fortunes, and the elements blew a fittingly demonic threnody at his passing. Winthrop's enemies said he was an evil man; those who loved him found him kind and generous. The muckrakers called him a capitalist without a conscience who "would stop at nothing, not even the ruin of his friends, to create a monopoly." Some said he was mad.  Some speculate that Old Man Winthrop's death was suicide; others whisper of murder. In either event, the death of Hugh Abernathy Winthrop, of Albany, New York, touched the imagination of nearly everyone who knew him, and might well, in the fullness of time, lead to yet other deaths ...  The Mystery of the Winthrop Treasure is an audience participation drama set in the year 1956. The event is held in period costume, and participants play the parts of detectives, society matrons, servants, criminals, entertainers, federal agents, and international spies - each with his or her own secrets and motivations. It not only contains the mystery and intrigue of PALLADIAN Interactive Theatre 's usual productions, but also includes an opportunity for the participants to hunt for REAL TREASURE - which the lucky finder gets to keep afterwards! The treasure is similar to that in our Community Treasure Hunt, and the value of the treasure may be modified to accommodate various prices of admission.

 

Escape into another Time and Place: into a Fantasy World of Adventure, Mystery, and Intrigue ...   As the morning sun climbs above the horizon, rose-colored hues begin to tinge the pine and balsam trees of the distant shoreline. The cries of loons echo from the enchanted island ahead, and a ferry glides through slate grey waters toward the landing site. The passengers begin to disembark, by ones and twos, onto the dock extending from the log boathouse, its hewn timbers hoary with dew-covered moss. Above them on the bluff, the ancient lodge lurks amidst the pines; its stone bell-tower, gabled roofs, and balconies are silhouetted against the gloaming sky ... Have you ever wanted to live the life of a character in a murder mystery book or motion picture? Here's your chance ! Stout's Lodge is an Adirondack-style Great Camp located on a private island deep in the North Woods of Wisconsin - an island rising out of the mists. It's the sort of place where the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers might have spen their summers in the 1920s. Working with this historic resort, PALLADIAN Interactive Theatre now offers a unique form of entertainment that stimulates creative thinking skills and promotes team-bonding besides being tremendous fun. It's more like stepping through a time machine than attending a conventional theatre. The passengers are no ordinary group of tourists. The well-dressed Englishman with the Punjabi manservant is Lord Philip Eaton, the English aristocrat and amateur detective. The stylishly dressed, silver-haired couple are Richard and Alice Driscoll, who were high-class private investigators before they retired. The man talking with the pilot is Cornell "Philadelphia" Kelley, the archeologist and adventurer, while at the far end of the dock the man dressed entirely in white is Kelley's arch-enemy, the deadly Mark Legion. The Industrialist reads her morning edition of the Wall Street Journal. The English Butler adjusts his immaculate black bow tie. The Fat Man whispers to the famous Art Dealer. Halfway up the bluff, the two women pausing to admire the beauty of the scenery would each be surprised to learn that the other ... is also a murderess ! Descriptions of Winthrop Treasure Characters