Murder of Halls and Mills
July 2012
Union Project, Pittsburgh, PA
Murphy/Smith Dance Collective's audience interactive murder mystery dance piece brings the famous unsolved Halls-Mills Murder to life by transporting the audience back to the 1922 New Jersey crime scene. This story of love, deceit, betrayal, and violence is performed several times in one evening, each time varying with one of three possible outcomes. A trail of old and worn out love letters leads the audience to the outdoor interactive crime scene where an audience member is guided halfway through the performance to pick and read aloud one of many love letters to cue the dancers to perform a specific alternate ending. This was presented as part of Relative Positions hosted by Shana Simmons Dance and was also adapted to a stage version for Evolve Dance Productions artist showcase.
(Length- 10 minute sets performed with alternative endings)
Co-Choreographed by: Jamie Erin Murphy and Renee Smith (Murphy/Smith Dance Collective)
Dancers: Hannah Lamberto, Jamie Erin Murphy, Renee Smith and Laura Warnock
Music: Various Artists
Photography by: Bill Shirley and Jonathan Warnock
Video: please email for video footage.