Done to Death

Fred Carmichael's play Done to Death is a comedic murder mystery parody where five past-their-prime mystery writers gather to create a TV series but find themselves in a real-life whodunit when actual murders occur. Trapped during a storm, the writers must use their distinct, often clichéd styles to solve the crimes, with the play alternating between reality and imaginative sequences reflecting each author's genre.

Once-famous mystery writers involve the audience as they apply their individual methods to solving various murders. They include a couple who write sophisticated murder mysteries, a young author of the James Bond school, a retired writer of hard-hitting thrillers, and an aging queen of the logical whodunit.

Done to Death made its world premiere at The Dorset Playhouse in Dorset, Vermont on August 5, 1970. Produced by the Caravan Theatre Summer Stock Company, the production was directed by Patricia Carmichael.