'Murder at the Porcelain Ballet' Premieres in San Clemente

Murder at the Porcelain Ballet, a murder mystery/comedy in the tradition of The 39 Steps, Arsenic and Old Lace and Clue, premieres in San Clemente on Thursday.

The play’s writer and director, Brian Ivie, 20, is a San Clemente native now attending USC. He’s also the CEO of Flashbulb Entertainment, the production company that is staging Murder at the Porcelain Ballet.

“It’s about a Halloween gathering at Moonlight Manner,” Ivie said. “They’ve invited an eclectic group of people. There is a murder in the area, and they all decide to lock themselves in for safety. Everyone is a suspect.”

Ivie said there are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and a surprise ending. He said he uses the conventions of murder mystery/comedies “and also exploits them.”

The actors, actresses and production crew are largely students and graduates pursuing careers in film and stage—an impressive bunch who independently raised more than $2,000 over the Internet to stage Ivies' original script.

Click here to visit Flashbulb’s website.