About Us

Without A Net Entertainment

Without A Net Entertainment is a traveling murder mystery company. We combine scripted material, audience interaction, topical improvisation and daring comedy to create and solve the evening's crime in a memorable dinner theater experience. With a couple decades of murder mystery experience, our actors love performing all over the country. Based out of Chicago, we bring the experience of a national hub of comedy and improvisation to your door.

Without A Net Entertainment will travel anywhere. Typical venues include wineries, breweries, restaurants, hotels, ballrooms, casinos, boats, trains, museums, mansions, and even salt mines and airplane hangers. We also have performed for a variety of social events and fundraisers including Kiwanis Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, VFWs, Elks Lodges, country clubs, chambers of commerce, corporate training and retreats, holiday parties, grand openings, and schools. We're perfect for any event looking for laughter.

Why Without A Net

You work hard to bring people to your event. You carefully plan out all the details and gather the best professionals you know to make it a success. After all this, the last thing you want is for everything to die over some bad jokes.

Without a Net gets that. That's why we provide top-quality entertainment and guarantee to reach the standards you and more importantly your audience expect. Once you get your clientele in the door, you want to give them an experience that will bring them back. We take great pride in making that happen. With a variety of shows available, you can bring your guests back to see new shows and build a community.

Our Fearless Founders

Joel Friend graduated from Drake University with a degree in Theatre and spent a semester at the National Theatre Institute in Connecticut. After moving to Chicago, he spent 18 months studying improv and comedy writing at the Second City Training Center and two years writing and performing with Schadenfreude Theater Company, who produced 60 episodes of its self-titled program on Chicago Public Radio. He also performed weekly with The Free Associates in their long running hit "B.S." - a completely improvised hour-long spoof of "E.R." Joel has been performing murder mysteries since the mid-90's. His proudest comedy performance involved acting for the great Betty White, who knocked 'em dead when given the part of the "experienced other woman."

Erica Sharpe holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Rockford College. Upon graduating, she discovered a love of interactive murder mysteries that now spans over a decade of performance. With a dual passion for writing, Erica has adapted Dracula and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and co-written a romantic comedy screenplay called Run While You Can. As a current company member of The Mystery Shop, she performs in 7 shows, plays 16 roles, and has written and developed a children's program called CSI Kids: Creating, Solving, Interacting. Additionally, Erica also uses her acting skills at various Chicago-area medical schools, including Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, to train and test students in patient care and communication.