COUPLE'S CREATION OFFERS MYSTERY WITH YOUR MEAL.

Byline: VICTORIA GIRAUD / People and Places

Local actors Damian Gravino and his wife, Kathi Janca Gravino, have created a mystery dinner theater that they call the Whodunnit Diner.

Performed on Sunday evenings through November and resuming again in January, the play is presented at the Marquie Dinner Theatre in Camarillo.

Damian and Kathi, Thousand Oaks residents long known for their comedic characters at the Moorpark Melodrama, got together with Damian's longtime friend and fellow San Diego State alumnus, Walt Smith, to establish Whodunnit.

Featuring film industry characters out of the 1920s, ``The Silent Movie Murder,'' written by Patricia Harris-Smith, takes place in the fictional Black Derby. Damian portrays a German film director, C.D. Veasel, while Kathi vamps it up Gloria Swanson-style as Louise Loveless and later, reminiscent of the early gossip columnists, as Louella Snoop. Walt, who directs the play, acts the part of singer Rudy Ballentine.

Other characters include: Harold Joy, a Harpo Marx-type character (George Lindsey, Jr.); Edward Manley III, a swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks (Steven Grabowsky); Clara Simpleton modeled on Mary Pickford (Jennifer Wicks), and a sexy flapper, Fanny Fanciful (Susan Wright).

The comical show, which Damian labels as ``interactive,'' involves diners. ``We play a lot with the audience all over the room,'' Damian declared. ``We treat the audience like they're the Hollywood elite of the 1920s coming to see a grand premiere.''

Playgoers get to know the actors, who double as waiters, before the salad is served. By the time the salad is finished, there's a murder. After the entree, papers are passed around for the audience's guesses on the perpetrator, and after dessert, we find out who will get their just dessert.

``Since I was 8, I always knew I wanted to be an actor,'' says Damian, who grew up in California. ``I'd do shows in the garage and make my reluctant sister be my sidekick.''

In high school he was in ``Oliver!'' and ``Godspell'' and the die was cast. Damian would like to act full time, but must work to support his acting passion. His efforts have paid off. For his role as Don Quixote in Westchester Playhouse's ``Man of La Mancha,'' he recently won the Marcom Masque Award for best actor, and received the Ventura County and Coast Reporter award for best comedic actor.

He's done 12 years of work at the Moorpark Melodrama. A few years back, a role as Black Bart in ``The Sagebrush Gang'' at the Melodrama led to doing the same role in Laughlin, Nev., at the Gold River Hotel.

``It lasted two months,'' Damian reminisced. ``I worked with Ruth Buzzi and Hoyt Axton. I had a good time with that.''

The couple met at the Melodrama, where Kathi has played many roles.

``He dated two of my best friends, and we became pals,'' Kathi said, adding that their relationship changed to romance. ``We've been together almost six years and married a year and four months.''

A graduate of Clown College, Kathi's been performing as Pinki the Clown for the past 16 years, is an accomplished ventriloquist and is currently playing the role of Mustard the Clown in a production of ``Clown's Play'' at Granada Hills Theater. Her clown expertise has landed her a role on TV's ``Power Rangers'' and a spot as a guest clown for Circus Vargas.

Kathi has two teen-age sons, Bart and Kent, and the Gravinos both keep busy with work and acting. Damian works for an electronic testing company, Kathi is a paralegal. Kathi has plans for theater productions for children in 1998, perhaps calling it ``Pinki's Playhouse.''

Meanwhile, they have high hopes for the Whodunnit Diner.

``We'd like to see this take off,'' said Damian. ``There's not much murder mystery is the area.''

For information about the mystery theater, call [phone].

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1) ``The Silent Movie Murder'' playing Sunday evenings at the Marquie Dinner Theatre in Camarillo features, clockwise from top left, Damian Gravino, Steven Grabowsky, Susan Wright, George Lindsey Jr., Kathi Janca Gravino and Walt Smith.

(2--ran in Conejo edition only) The Whodunnit Diner in Camarillo expands off the stage and involves the audience in the play during a three-course meal.

Evan Yee/Daily News