Staying in Character

FYI, my third to last day at work will be spent at an offsite doing team-building activities. Our main activity is a murder mystery. We have been assigned characters. Here is the character I will be playing:

Name and Profession: Mary Smith - Housewife and part time stuntwoman

Gender: Female

Personality Characteristics: Mary excels at everything she does. Confident and outwardly happy, her zest for life is contagious. She is a good friend and neighbor and doesn't hide the fact that she is a bit of a daredevil. Whether she is reseeding the lawn, or driving a car over 10 tractors and a swamp, Mary always gets the job done right.

Background: Mary grew up watching her mother emulate Mrs. Cleaver and other perfect television moms. Meals were masterpieces and her mother was always dressed to the nines as she served them. Her father encouraged his only daughter to participate in sports and was the loudest fan at her games. Her mother rarely came to any of her sporting events. After graduation, she met her husband at a 4K and it was love at first sight. Twelve years her senior and employed as a stunt coordinator for a major film studio, he persuaded Mary to give it a shot. She was a natural from the beginning and worked steadily until the birth of their twins 7 years ago. She has been working part time since then, but only when the children are in school and she has no household commitments.

Playing this character: Search your energy reserves for playing Mary! Playful punches with your companions would be appropriate. Bring up small injuries due to your work. For instance, you might mention your aching ribs from the fall off a 2-story bank building and your broken toe from the vacuum cleaner the other day. If someone reaches toward you, jump back or duck as if they were going to throw a punch or karate kick and then mention your recipe for chocolate pot de crème.

Motive: While Mary is outwardly a tomboy, she yearns to be a glamorous lady. She has filled out the application for the Mrs. Orange Valley pageant, but needs the specialized wardrobe to ensure her place in the top 5. Gowns alone will run in the thousands of dollars. The pageant is next month and Mary knows what she must do to win. Her husband does not know about her secret so she cannot withdraw funds from their joint accounts.