I'm telling you guys...the more I think about the "hangman" idea, the more I like it. I'm considering another angle as to who the killer was, but my explanation for her having "hangman" on the slates is that she'd use the slates to occupy her mind while in prison. At first she tried to contact the fiance, but to no avail. Then she just used them to keep herself busy, finally using them to play games with another inmate. She had just drawn out the gallows and the 9 spots for the word when they came for her. I, of course, have the slates in the very condition that she had left them.

Rick

I like this hangman idea so much I think you should turn the whole story into some sort of murder mystery. Something about a killing that the lovers had been around and everyone thought it was her lover. Now you draw the hangmans gallows and rope on one slate and draw some lines on the other slate.. You start saying that slowly the letters appeared naming the killer H-A... you draw each letter on one of the lines and you've said that her boyfriends name is Harry so now eveyone knows... you seal the slates. The key turns... the candle extinguishs... you open up the slates and the first is turned around and shows this HARAS... you realize it is SARAH upside down you turn it straight... we now know who did it... you turn the other slate around and there is a person hanging from the gallows... and she's wearing a wedding dress!
Greg

Greg, that was very, very cool.

REDRUM, REDRUM anyone?

I have to admit I've been thinking a bit about the hangman premise, too, since my initial post. It felt right, but I've been doing comedy presentations for so long, sometimes I can't tell if something's inherently dramatic, or funny.

Thanks guys, for proving this one has legs.

I like the "sympathy" aspect of the drawing, which is known to develop as the word is disclosed. Greg really nailed this with the wedding-dress double twist. Bravo!

UPDATE: April 28, 2004

Sorry to bring this thread back up, it having almost "crossed over" into obscurity, and all. However, two things hit me as potential ideal messages for slates. These are probably better for comedy:

First, a chalk outline, as in a crime scene. I think this has been done before.

Second, I like the idea of opening the slates to reveal football play diagrams. You know, the drawings with the X's and O's and arrows and circles drawn all over them. Perhaps to accompany a prediction of who will win a big game?

Great ideas, Curtis...Vince Lombardi speaks from beyond! LOL

Someone had a great idea on another topic in which they would rub chalk over the whole surface of the slate, then when the revelation is made, it looks like the spirit used its finger to do the writing...intriguing..

Rick

You might use a variation of "Spelling Bee" to let the audience identify the killer, and have the name match the name in the Hangman game. The Spelling Bee cards could have clues to the identity of the killer printed on one side, and letters on the other.

Amos McCormick