Rising Stars: Meet Jim Trapani

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Trapani.

Hi Jim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve been working and performing with The Mystery Mansion Dinner Theater since 1989, when it first opened in Phoenix. It began as a family business when a theatrical agent father and 2 sons moved here from L.A. to open the only comedy murder mystery dinner theater production company in Phoenix. They hired my brother, and soon after, they needed a body’ to go on that night! My brother volunteered me —gave me the ‘understudy to the rescue bit,’ after a few hours with the script and no rehearsal, I went on. Did I mention it was DRAG (Doing Role As a Girl)? I thought it would be a ‘one-off,’ but the producers saw something I didn’t and offered to go on again. Little did I know it would continue to this day and over 5,000 performances. As with most performers who sometimes end up doing ‘dinner theater,’ they don’t want others to know about it. The stigma is real. Even Actors’ Equity classifies it as ‘Carnival,’ Carnies! Those actors with day jobs, agents, friends, and family are reluctant to discuss it. I was the same, but it became harder to deny because it was steady work. Shows were booked every weekend and especially during the holidays months. Many in the troupe didn’t leave, and we became this sort of family of carnies with many funny and sometimes not so much —stories of what happens with you are performing live every weekend, and at the time, very innovative interactive theater.

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many over the 30-plus years doing this. The world stage often influences ours. I remember we were doing a show during the infamous OJ Simpson Bronco chase. While some actors were on stage, others watched it and then returned to do their scene. This was before cell phones, social media, etc., and we would ‘work in’ that situation in parts of the show to the audience’s delight. 9/11 comes to mind next. People had already made reservations for the shows directly following the tragedy. The show must go on, and we did, providing temporary relief to heavy hearts during one of the century’s greatest tragedies. The financial crash of 2008 was another one that saw the audiences become smaller and smaller. Many of us thought this would close the shows, but somehow the producers hung on and kept booking no matter how small the house. The Covid pandemic has been the only thing to shut us down completely. We were shuttered for 19 months. I applied for the PPP program, grants, and anything else to keep the production company afloat.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Many times I don’t think of myself as an artist or creative. I know this happens, especially during performances. Many times, improvisation is needed, especially since the audience is part of the show. It works as long as you are in the character you are playing. One role I play is a conniving gypsy woman, Madame Chinski. She has endless opportunities to spin her character and provide witty remarks with audience members who engage her. I’m constantly amazed at how the artistic/creative elements of performing carried over to my day job as the owner of an internet communications company, Procom Communications; wwwprocomusa.com. Part of that business is helping clients develop ideas of how better to convey their goods and services in a virtual medium as technology changes. A creative approach is critical to keeping them competitive and relevant in a crowded environment. We feature public shows, performing every week, providing an interactive ‘show and a dinner’ experience for the whole family. During our shows, we regularly recognize birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other special events. Many people think of Mystery Mansion Dinner Theater as a first stop for celebrations. Another large part of sales is corporate clients, who see the value and opportunity in employee recognition, team building, and awards. We help employers thank their employees in a unique and meaningful way. Each actor in a troupe of about 15 is contracted independently and lives in Phoenix. From this, they are cast each week and booked out 3 months at a time, depending on their schedules.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Start with the likes: We collaborate with local not-for-profit organizations to raise funds for their various needs. We recently donated a production to “Lost Our Home Pet Rescue,” partnering with Tito’s Vodka and Italian restaurant Maggiano’s Little Italy.

Please view our commercial for the event here: https://fb.watch/kVVa2ag7Qi/. We work with others to celebrate and support the causes we care about, like, Greater Phoenix https://www.equalitychamber.org/, https://gigisplayhouse.org/phoenix/, https://azpetproject.org/, https://canine.org/. I also like that many of the actors in the troupe are like family—the kind of family you pick.

Dislikes: After buying the production company in 2014, learning to show business from the ground up is still challenging. It’s a different kind of business acumen where personalities, egos, and status come into play in an eye-opening way. This is very evident with casting. Some performers mix well with others, while others seem to have difficulty dismissing that 4th wall (conceptual barrier).

Pricing:

• $79 and up

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mysterymansiondinnertheater.com

Image Credits
Andrew DeCarlo Media, Oddly Creative Media