You can’t go wrong when a murder mystery play opens with the song, “Please, Mr. Postman.” Immediately the audience was brought into the moment we’ve all experienced, waiting in line at the Post Office. Written by Mammoth Lakes local and business owner, Sam Taylor, directed by Jesse Stelle and produced by Allison McDonnell Page, Sierra Classic Theatre’s presentation of “Going Postal” at the Mammyland Post Office was a hoot from beginning to end. All of us know what it’s like to be at the post office and Taylor’s witty and comical writing put into words what we’ve all experienced at our local USPS.

Arthur Varela plays the role of Bill Box, the grumpy local curmudgeon who is irritated by everyone and everything about the Mammyland Post Office. All he wants is to get his package and takes every opportunity he can to wave his yellow card into the air, emphasizing his need for postal speed. He complains about the smell of the PCT hiker, Riley Return, played by Lina Martensson, and doesn’t understand why she’s gone through three pair of hiking boots while on the trail. When Riley pulls out her very favorite battery-operated pink BFF from her backpack and waves it around, the audience burst out laughing. Never knew that female PCT hikers need that type of BFF with them, but I guess it does get lonely out there some nights on the trail. Bill Box also can’t stand the new breed of billionaire wanna-be locals who flit in and out of town like Zane Zip, played by actor Baylee Topham. No amount of money can buy you first in line or the best P.O. Box available at the Mammyland Post Office, but can it buy you…murder?

The longest surviving postal service employee, Sally Stamp, played by Joanna Ramsdale, dives deep on what it’s like from the other side of the counter. She has to deal with employee, Dana Direction, played by actor Lizzie Bourdelais, who would rather be on her phone and get high in her van all day than put letters in their slots or packages in the appropriate boxes. Then there’s Kelly Key, played by actor Katee Long Becker, a Mammyland business owner who also deals with postal dilemma’s and twizzes out if customers mention that they are awaiting packages from Cramazon. But thinking about Sally’s special box often make Kelly smile, even when she’s on the verge of a postal rage. Sally Stamp also has an alter ego who may or may not keep her sanity in check when it emerges from its Mammyland slumber.

Local actor, Maurice Cooper, took on the role of Perry Priority for the first two nights of the Murder Mystery and could have easily been the CEO of a record company with the way he interviewed the individuals who were suspected of the murder. With help from a government recorded playbook, Perry Priority may have narrowed down the suspects. Or did Perry Priority miss a crucial piece of evidence? Maybe he should have taken a sample of the mitochondrial DNA of each Mammyland employee and each customer? Perhaps actor, Emily Estremo, who will take over the Perry Priority role for the rest of the performances will up her forensic game.

At the end, the Murder Mystery at the Mammyland Post Office left us all thinking, is anyone in Mammyland ever sober?

Taylor, who owns Mammoth Business Essentials in Mammoth Lakes has a birds-eye view of what goes on behind the scenes and with his usual comical flare, lets the audience in on some of the backdoor trials and tribulations of making sure the public gets their mail every day. The annual Murder Mystery is Sierra Classic Theatre’s biggest fundraiser of the year and is usually sold out within days of announcing the fall dates.

We all agreed to an oral NDA at the end of the evening so if you want to know who the murderer is, you’ll have to go see for yourself. Go to https://sierraclassictheatre.org/ for more information on this show and all the other events sponsored by SCT.

By Stacey Powells