"Dark Comedy of Errors" is the title Stage Directions gave the 1-act comedy, Murder by Mistake. Kyle has grandiose schemes and dreams of fame and fortune. His newest invention is car seats for dogs. His friends have similar wild ideas, and their hobby is playing intricate and immensely entertaining practical jokes on each other. Starting with car seats and ending with a faked death, this will be the funniest play to ever hit your stage. Mike and Kyle have been playing practical jokes on each other as long as they can remember, but this time they've gone too far. When Kyle pretends he's been shot and then hires a very large, very armed man to play the part of a jealous boyfriend to scare the pants off of Mike, Mike decides to get revenge by convincing Kyle he's won the lottery. Ecstatic, Kyle quits his job, tells off his boss, buys a limo, and reserves a presidential suite. Realizing he's gone too far, Mike tries to set things right, but the situation only gets worse and the practical jokes keep coming. And through it all, Kyle keeps spending.

"It's the most fun you will ever have looking at the dark side of human nature," Jason Shields wrote in reviewing the play for the Shelter Island, NY, Reporter, adding: "John Kaasik's play is contemporary in all respects: dialogue, subject matter, and character development...[and] the humor which makes this play so enjoyable...My face still hurts from laughing."

A videotape of the Shelter Island Players premiere is available from I. E. Clark Publications. Some revisions were made after the production in preparation for this published version. Also available from the publisher is an audio cassette tape of original music composed by John Kaasik for use as an overture, scene change music, and curtain call music.

Set, contemporary middle class living room; Time, now; modern costumes.

See also: Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem