The Mystery Theatre Unlimited Cast — Butch Maxwell
Co-founder of the company and principal actor for his roles in 64 shows; he wrote or was co-author of 52.
He directed Towngate Theatre’s 2018 production of August: Osage County, Towngate’s May 2021 production of Murderers, and the 2024 production of Rabbit Hole. His one-act Fine was produced at Pittsburgh New Works Festival in late September 2010. He appeared in Matches at Towngate Theatre in 2009 and The Strap at ITC in 2009, both co-starring with Arlene Merryman. He also appeared in 1000 Variations of a Lie Told Once for ITC in 2010. Along with fellow students Bob Athey and Bert Furioli, he co-founded “The Generic Players” comedy company at West Liberty State College. Refusing to grow up, they later formed Company B, which performed original comedy at the Cornerstone Project in Wheeling (1994–1996).
Radio & Improv: He hosts a local radio program on WKKX (The Watchdog), Butch Maxwell’s Complete Waste of Airtime (Wednesdays at 2 pm on AM 1600). He appears regularly with Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre improv troupe, The Left of Centre Players, and he’s also a co-conspirator in an off-and-on original rock project known as Teaser…
…and a new wave tribute band called The M-80s.
In January of 2006, Butch appeared in Towngate Theatre’s National Playwriting Award-winning production Fool Circle…
He also directed the Strand Theatre’s 2019 production of The Importance of Being Earnest…
Writing & Co-Writing
He is author of “Salon, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, You’re Dead” and co-author of dozens more, including: Bridgerdon Abbey, The Calmityville Horror, The Capitol Hillbillies, The Case of the Ms. and the Show Biz Whiz, Coleslaw & Order, Dead of State, Dead of the Class, A Deadly Christmas Carol, DOA in the Y2K, E.A.T. (The Extra Added Terrestrial), Elliot Brick’s Case of the Maltese Ferret, Happily Never After, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, How the West Was Dumb, I Killed Lucy, Indiana Smith and the Raiders of the Lost Sequel, Indiana Smith and the Restaurant of Doom, Johnny B. Dead, Kill Phil, Last Kill and Testament, Mayberry R.I.P., The Menace of the Super-Duper Party Pooper, Mind Over Murder, Mission: Unpossible, Murder at the Kit Kat Klub, Murder in the Mansion Museum, Murder on the Luv Boat, Murder Under the Big Top, My Big Fat Reality Wedding, Nothing Much About Doo-Doo, Once Upon a Crime, One Life to Lose, Overture for an Undertaker, The Pirates of Poughkeepsie, Popguy the Sailor Man, Rock ’em Dead, Slay Ride: Rudolph the Dead-Nosed Reindeer, Slay Ride 2: Fright Christmas, Slay Ride III: The Case of the Santa Sham Scam, Slay Ride IV: Revenge of the Claus, Slay Ride V: CSI North Pole, Slay Ride Six: Santa’s Last Christmas, Slay Ride 7: The Buttcracker Suite, Star Bores, The Strange Case of Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hype, Survivor on Killigan’s Island, Tales from the Script, A Very Hellmark Christmas Special, Who Killed the Top Chef?, Who Wants to Murder a Millionaire?, Wizard of Odds, and You’re a Dead Man, Chuckie Brown, plus script-doctoring on several others.
Mystery Theatre Credits
As principal actor:
- Wayne Starch — Speakeasy, Die Hard (1996)
- Homer deBrave — Take Me out of the Ball Game (1996)
- Easter Bunny — • Slay Ride: Rudolph the Dead-Nosed Reindeer (1996)
- Peeves — A Medium forv Murder (1997)
- Manny — Variety is the Spice of Death (1997)
- Charlie Blind Eagle — Montana Marie Gets Shot Down at Three (1997)
- Albert Hall — Happiness is a Warm Gun (1997)
- Chuch George — Il Morte di Figero (1998)
- Larry and Jerry Dumort — Salon, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, You're Dead (1998)
- Elliot Brick — The Case of the Ditz and the Diamond (1998)
- Phil — • You Bet Jurassic He’s Dead (1998)
- Frosty D. Snowman — Slay Ride 2: Screaming All the Way (1998)
- Cutlass Jack — Avast Ye Murderous Swabs (1999)
- Young Master Bates — Tragic Death of Alfred the Squatty (1999)
- Elliot Brick — Elliot Brick’s Case of the Ms. and the Show Biz Whiz (1999)
- Reverend Aaron — DOA in the Y2K (1999)
- The Sheriff — Damn! Damn! That Rotten Old Nottingham! (2000)
- Maxwell Smug — License to Spy (2000)
- Happy Barkerdale — Who Wants to Murder a Millionaire? (2000)
- Dr. Bill Adonna — Something Stinks at P.U. (2000)
- Scotchie/Ambassador/Kahn — Space Trek: The Wrath of Budda Kahn (2001)
- Superduperman — The Menace of the Supper-Duper Party-Pooper (2001)
- Big Bad Wolf, Jr. — Once Upon a Crime (2001)
- Elliot Brick — Slay Ride 3: Elliot Brick’s Case of the Santa Sham Scam (2001)
- Killigan — Survivor on Killigan’s Island (2002)
- Beau Brummel — One Life to Lose (2002)
- Agent R — E.A.T. (The Extra Added Terrestrial) (2003)
- Indiana Smith — Indiana Smith and the Restaurant of Doom (2003)
- Dexter Small — Murder on the Luv Boat (2004)
- Jane Haveaway — The Capitol Hillbillies (2004)
- Elliot Brick — Elliot Brick’s Case of the Maltese Ferret (2005)
- Sheldon — Murder Under the Big Top (2005)
- Frank Cannon — Slay Ride 5 – CSI: North Pole (2005)
- Johnny Rival — Murder at the Kit Kat Klub (2006)
- Scarecrow — The Wizard of Odds (2006)
- Ricky Retardo — I Killed Lucy (2007)
- David Boney — McDeath or Nothing Much About Doo-Doo (2007)
- Minus — You’re a Dead Man, Chuckie Brown (2007)
- Tom Clooze — Kill Phil (2008)
- Indiana Smith — Indiana Smith and the Raiders of the Lost Sequel e (2008)
- Hank — Mind Over Murder (2009)
- Ron Oboyovich/Jack McCroy — Coleslaw and Order (2009)
- Floyd the Barber — Myberry R.I.P. (2010)
- David Boney — Rock 'em Dead (2010)
- Easter Bunny — Slay Ride 6: Santa’s Last Christmas (2010)
- Jack Sparrow — The Pirates of Poughkeepsie (2011)
- Sheerluck Holmes — The Strange Case of Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hype (2011)
- Fred/Gentleman/Fessiwig/Ghost of Past — A Deadly Christmas Carol (2011)
- Gordon Ramseed — Who Killed the Top Chef? (2012)
- Colin Card — Mission Unpossible (2013)
- Olive Boyle — Dead of the Class (2013)
- Beiberjuice — The Calamityville Horror (2013)
- Elliot Brick — Elliot Brick’s Case of the Overture for an Undertaker (2014)
- Roger Rodgers — How the west Was Dumb (2014)
- Prince Smarmy — Happily Never After (2015)
- Johnny Armstrong — Johnny B. Dead (2015)
- Ham Solo — Star Bores (2016)
- Wolfman Blitz — Dead of State (2016)
- Rev. Moonbeam Asparagus — My Big, Fat Reality Wedding (2017)
- Brice Butterworth — Last Kill and Testament (2017)
- Sea Nag — Popguy the Sailor Man (2019
- Sexton Hardcastle IV — A Very Hellmark Christmas Special (2023)
- Lord Albert Higgenbottom — Bridgerdon Abbey (2024)
- Anti-Santa — Slay Ride 7: The Buttcracker Suite (2024)
- Lord Vulgar Pork — Harry 4gotter ane the Pantry of the Secret Sauces (2025)
As an understudy:
- Mike Angelo — A Medium for Murder (1997)
In a revival / different role:
- Cooper Deville — Slay Ride 2: Screaming All the Way (1998, 2000, 2018)
- Odd Sterling — Once Upon a Crime (2024)
- Elfish — Slay Ride 5 — CSI: North Pole (2012)
- Special Agent Jack Strong — Johnny B. Dead (2021)
- Joe Friedegg — Slay Ride 5 — CSI: North Pole (2022)
- Andy Jailor — Mayberry R.I.P. (2024)
The Mystery Theatre Unlimited, at various times, features:
Emeritus Members
Others Who Have Appeared with the Company
Last updated: October 14, 2025