The Great Hall at Stoughton's Town Hall was packed Friday night, Jan. 18 for a sellout performance of the "Murder at the Library" production, a fundraiser for Stoughton's Support Our Library Association (SOLA).

The murder mystery, directed by realtor Fred Yaitanes, and assisted by Jan Jones of the Little Theatre of Stoughton, featured some of Stoughton's most recognizable characters: Selectman Cynthia Walsh; Police Chief Paul Shastany; Library Director Pat Basler; Hansen School Principal Faye Polillio; Stephanie Carrara of the Town Clerk's Office; Columnist Mark Snyder; Community Preservation Committee Chairman John Morton; and Redevelopment Committee Chairman Carlos Vargas.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marguerite Rizzi provided musical accompaniment on bass.

The murder mystery kept the audience guessing as to which character was guilty of the crime, with various clues being dropped along the way.

Local librarian Lotta Books (Basler) hosts a reception and book signing for Agatha Mystry (Walsh), renowned murder mystery writer, as part of a library fundraiser. Several "friends" come to toast Agatha: Agatha's publisher Dell Doubleday (Vargas); local bookseller Dalton B. Walden (Morton); movie star Jlo Bennifer (Polillio); local politician The Govenator (Snyder); and book critic Page Turner (Carrara).

In the presence of her "friends" Agatha suddenly faints, and like the title of her most recent book, proves to be "Dead as a Doornnail."

Lead police detective Sam Slayed (Shastany) enters and starts grilling the witnesses.

Despite each character having a clear motive to murder Agatha, it turns out Lotta Books is to blame, and she confesses to the crime. Lotta Books was being blackmailed by Agatha, who ironically was illiterate. Lotta Books was the ghost writer for all of Agatha's hit books and told detective Sam Slayed that she had to put a stop to it. So, she held a bogus fundraiser/book signing and wrote Agatha's "final chapter" by slipping digitalis into her drink.

Lotta Books was taken away in handcuffs by detective Sam Slayed (pictures 61-64).

Dori Frankel, President of Stoughton's Support Our Library Association, helped organize and run the evening. The SOLA Board of Directors and Events Committee also includes vice president Dolores Cummings, treasurer Marylou Giordano, secretary Ann McDonald, as well as Sharon Fradkin, Jean Mellyn, Leo Mellyn, Melinda Rios and Mark Snyder.

Financial sponsors for the evening included Mateo Cummings, State Representative William C. Galvin, State Representative Louis L. Kafka and State Senator Brian A. Joyce. In-Kind Sponsors included the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce, Stop & Shop, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School Culinary Arts Program, International Gourmet, CopyInks and the Wizard of Adz.

SOLA is a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization responsible for raising funds to support the Stoughton Public Library's activities like the Summer Reading Program, children's events, the Monday Night Homework Center, new technical equipment outside of the library's budget, etc.

Email [email protected] for more information.