Arlene Merryman
More or less a founding cast member
Since retiring from teaching, Arlene lives in Pittsburgh. In 2011 she appeared locally in “Harry Quits the Rat Race” at Towngate Theatre, and “Postcards from a Dead Dog” for ITC. 2011 Pittsburgh appearances were in “Broadway Bound” for Old Schoolhouse Players, “The Full Monty” at Stage 62, “A New Brain” at the Grey Box Theatre and a one-woman one-act for the New Works Festival. Her one-woman one-act was selected by the Manhattan Theatre Source as part of its Estrogenius Festival and she performed it in New York at the MTS Theatre in Washington Square.
Arlene appeared in “Matches” at Towngate Theatre and in “The Strap” at ITC (both opposite Butch Maxwell) in 2009. She also appeared in The History Boys at Little Lake Theater (2008), Long Day’s Journey Into the Night (Towngate, 2007) and The Marriage-Go-Round (2004), both with MTU’s Gino Angelo. Other Towngate appearances include On Borrowed Time (2005) and Hay Fever (2004). In 2003, she toured Ireland in the Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre production of Major Barbara at the Galway Arts Festival and in Dublin.
Other Pittsburgh appearances include Threepenny Opera and Playboy of the Western World (The Acting Company), Juno and the Paycock (PICT), Steel Magnolias (Veronica Veil Players), and two years in the New Works Festival. She also performed La Ronde, The Children’s Hour, and a four-week run of the musical Secrets Every Smart Traveller Should Know in Pittsburgh.
At Towngate she appeared in You Can’t Take It with You, Arsenic and Old Lace, and directed The Sunshine Boys. Other roles include Morning’s at Seven, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Nerd, Philadelphia Here I Come, and leading roles in The Gingerbread Lady, Molly Sweeney, Private Lives, The Dresser, and Dancing at Lughnasa. She also directed The Fantasticks and Godspell.
Her Mystery Theatre credits
As principal actor:
Aunt Goldie — A Medium for Murder (1997)
Yoko Ono — Happiness Is a Warm Gun (1997)
Billy Bob's assistant — Recipe for Murder (1997)
Ms. Kathleen O'Grady — Il Morte di Figaro (1998)
Dame Loretta LaDiva — The Case of the Ms. and the Show-Biz Whiz (1999–2000)
Prim — DOA in the Y2K (1999)
Maid Marion — Damn! Damn! That Rotten Old Nottingham! (2000)
Mrs. Peale — License to Spy (2000)
Zoe Spatafore — Who Wants to Murder a Millionaire? (2000)
Dr. Kym Sickle — Something Stinks at P.U. (2000)
Dr. Penelope Pusher — Space Trek (2001, 2002, 2006)
CattyWoman — The Menace of the Super Duper Party-Pooper (2001, 2006)
Grandma — Once Upon a Crime (2001, 2004, 2006)
Holly Daize / “Twinkle” the Elf — Slay Ride III (2001, 2002)
Mary Jane — Survivor on Killigan's Island (2002)
Lucy Sushan — One Life to Lose (2002, 2009)
Greta Van Cistern — E.A.T. (The Extra Added Terrestrial) (2003)
Pauline Peril — Indiana Smith and the Restaurant of Doom (2003)
Honeydew Thistlewhistle — Tales from the Script (2003)
Mitzi Rhodes — Murder on the Luv Boat (2004, 2006, 2008)
Grammy — The Capitol Hillbillies (2004)
Fiona Fallinda — Murder Under the Big Top (2005)
Misty Storm — Murder at the Kit Kat Klub (2006)
Dorothy Grail — Wizard of Odds (2006)
Lucy Retardo — I Killed Lucy (2007, 2009)
Delilah LaDiva — Nothing Much About Doo-Doo (2007, 2009)
Aunt Bee — Mayberry R.I.P. (2010)
As understudy:
Elfish Prezley — Slay Ride (1997)
Mrs. Norton-Sweeny-Todd — Murder in the Mansion Museum (1998, 2005)
Mrs. Claus — Slay Ride 2: Fright Christmas (1998)
Margarita — Avast! Ye Murderous Swabs (1999)
Lois Small — Murder on the Luv Boat (2004)
Sarah Bellum — Mind Over Murder (2009)
In revival:
Eileen Wright — Variety Is the Spice of Death (1999)
Mrs. Claus — Slay Ride (2000)
Mrs. Claus — Slay Ride II: Screaming All the Way (2000)
Mrs. Claus — Slay Ride IV: Revenge of the Claus (2003, 2004)
Miss Scarletta — Elliot Brick's Case of the Maltese Ferret (2006)
Princess Dahntahnenat — Space Trek (2006)
Dominique Whiplash — Salon, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, You're Dead (2010)
Arlene also recorded all the music for “Happiness Is a Warm Gun.”
The Mystery Theatre Unlimited, at various times, features:
Emeritus Members
Others Who Have Appeared with the Company
Updated October 14, 2025.