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Ramona couple celebrates with hilarious intrigue

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A year after buying San Diego’s longest running dinner theater company, Ramona High alums Shawn and Mary Greiner are celebrating by debuting a new play that Shawn wrote.

“Nobody’s Got a Clue” is the first original piece written for Mystery Café Dinner Theater in San Diego since 2009. The company has been in business for the past 25 years.

During performances, guests are served a three-course meal while watching — and participating — in a fast-paced, partly scripted, partly improvised show.

The new show is a parody on the popular board game with characters such as Mrs. Pavone, Colonel Dijon, Professor Plumber, Mrs. Off White and Miss Starlet. The audience gets to decide who the killer is for one of six alternate endings.

“Nobody’s Got a Clue” opened Feb. 4 to a sold-out crowd.

Shawn said he had the theme in mind for several years and began writing the script in June.

It is his first full-length script, though he has written many shows for Legoland California, where he is the entertainment and events manager, overseeing 18 live shows per year and about 50 events at the Carlsbad-based theme park.

“It’s been quite a process to bring his show idea to fruition and he is already working over ideas for another script,” said Mary.

Shawn, Class of 1993, started performing with Mystery Café under its previous ownership in 2001, acting in a dozen different productions.

Mary, a Class of 1998 graduate, “stars” in the company’s behind-the-scenes role, handling the company’s administrative needs.

The Greiners, who still live in Ramona and have two daughters, agree that working on the business together has strengthened their marriage and that they work well together. So well, in fact, that the majority of shows last year were sold out. Business is also so good that Mary is resigning this month from her longtime job as a manager for Starbucks to focus full time on Mystery Café.

Mystery Café shows runs every Friday and Saturday night at The Imperial House Restaurant at 505 Kalmia St. in San Diego. Tickets start at $50 and include dinner.

Private and offsite shows are also available.

For more information, visit www.sandiegomysterycafe.com or call 619-460-2200.

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