Hello! I'm Paul W. Warshauer. This is my Official Site!
I'm a historic real estate developer & entertainer, author, director, performer, raconteur, and cigar aficionado.
Profiles, Background, Projects
My Background, Biography
My Office and Favorite Places
My Background, Biography
Paul W. Warshauer has been involved in performing arts and the real estate business for nearly 60 years. A proud Chicagoan, Mr. Warshauer began his career at age 10 playing Macbeth at Anshe Emet Day School and he has been hooked on theatre ever since. Mr. Warshauer produced and directed his first play, Adventures in Storybook Landat Bay
Paul W. Warshauer has been involved in performing arts and the real estate business for nearly 60 years. A proud Chicagoan, Mr. Warshauer began his career at age 10 playing Macbeth at Anshe Emet Day School and he has been hooked on theatre ever since. Mr. Warshauer produced and directed his first play, Adventures in Storybook Landat Bay Harbor Elementary School in Florida in the 6th grade, (1967). After Paul’s mother died, Ben & Libby Warshauer, Paul’s paternal grandparents, raised him. Ben was a pioneer in the parking industry. Paul began his “business career" by counting monthly parking passes at Tremont Auto Park at the corner of Lake and Dearborn Streets in Chicago. Paul attended Bay Harbor Elementary & Ransom Schools in Florida then graduated from Cleveland Heights High School with high honors and went on to study theatre, film, television, and speech at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Rarely missing a year he attended, (then worked as a counselor and fine arts director at) Camp Waupaca in Wisconsin from 1966 until 1988. At Northwestern, he created and produced the original improvisational The Mee-Ow Showin 1974, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. He also built the world’s tallest house of playing cards in 1976. Paul purchased his first two houses on South Boulevard in Evanston, IL. He rented one and lived in the other thus producing a positive cash flow in his first real estate deal. A three-month tour of Europe in a Volkswagen camper van followed with his lifelong pal, Dr. Paul Adler. He left Northwestern in his junior year to work with a film cataloging company in Washington DC. In 1979 Warshauer moved to Santa Monica, California and shared an apartment with RAC Clark, (Dick Clark’s son) and pal Ronnie Smith. Paul moved to Woodland Hills, CA and worked at Carpet Town in Monterey Park, CA. While selling carpet, Paul earned his BA at California State University, Northridge (1986) with a major in Theatre & English, and a teaching degree. He also took an au pair position with the Margolese family in Granada Hills and looked after 6-year-old Michael Margolese. Over his career, Paul has written, produced, and directed over 450 productions. These include main stage musical plays, (South Pacific, Man of LaMancha, Guys and Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, Follies), comedies (Front Page, Arsenic & Old Lace, Don't Drink the Water, Frogs) dramas, (Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Diary of Anne Frank) and has created and directed many programs for Youth Theater, (Treasure Island, Peter Pan, The History of the Universe in 94 Minutes, How to Eat Like a Child, Seven Tales of Cinderella). He directs theater classes and plays for adults, elementary, junior and senior high school kids, and has taught theater arts in public and private schools. He earned his secondary teaching credentials in California, Oregon and Illinois. He also worked with kids of all ages in summer camps in CA, PA, WI, and OR in theatre, television, and drama. Paul's interest in Murder Theater began in 1991 when he created audience participation dinner theaters for Classicos, an Italian restaurant in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The owners wanted something special for Halloween and asked Warshauer for a "haunted house." Thinking that too juvenile, Warshauer came up with a concept for the restaurant that had a long abandoned hotel upstairs. The audience was introduced to a cast of suspects during a mingle / cocktail hour. Then Warshauer took the stage and formally introduced the cast to the audience before dinner. In between the courses of a meal, the audience wandered around and eavesdropped on characters. Little did Warshauer suspect then that this interest would lead to over 450 original murder mystery plays for many clients worldwide starting as Murder: North by Northwest, then as Murders R Us, now Murders4Fun. Mr. Warshauer was the founder of the Klamath Cable Access Television Station (KCATS) in Klamath Falls, Oregon and served on many boards including the United Way and Klamath Symphony. Paul was married to Rachel, has two step daughters, and a son. His daughters have children and live in the Pacific Northwest.
His son, Tom Cravey, lived with Paul in Grand Island, Nebraska in the seven-story historic Masonic Temple Building. Tom graduated West Point (Class of 2015). In his “spare time,” Mr. Warshauer owns and operates Grande Venues a real estate development company that acquires, restores, rehabilitates, or operates historic old theatres and buildings. He also travels nationwide to present original murder mysteries. Paul continues to look for a producer or Production Company to make a reality TV show entitled, It's Murder Out There! about his work with Murder Mysteries. Mr. Warshauer moved to New Ulm, Minnesota in November 2011 to become the first Executive Director of the New Ulm Actors Community Theatre NUACT (now State Street Theater Co.) and continues to produce, direct, and write for the theatre, film and television. He worked with a group of investors to buy a city block in New Ulm to develop the State Street Apartments and Theater. His current projects are the development of a 20-acre parcel in Owatonna, Minnesota and the Masonic Temple Building in Enfield, North Carolina. Paul continues to direct murder mysteries, musicals, workshops for kids, and plays. He is also the developer of several TV shows including It's Murder Out There!, American Weiner and The Legend of Marshal Dead with his lifelong pal, Loren Margolese of Dallas, Texas.
©2020-2024 by Paul Warshauer. All rights reserved. This biography may not be reproduced or excerpted without the express written permission of the author. 312) 550-7868. paulwarshauer@gmail.com
Selected Projects
My Office and Favorite Places
My Background, Biography
My "portfolio" continues to grow, morph, and in many cases conclude in successful development. Many projects are sold to other parties. In no particular order:
Murders4Fun
An entertainment company that specializes in original murder mystery productions. We have produced over 450 murder mysteries in all 50 states.
My "portfolio" continues to grow, morph, and in many cases conclude in successful development. Many projects are sold to other parties. In no particular order:
Murders4Fun
An entertainment company that specializes in original murder mystery productions. We have produced over 450 murder mysteries in all 50 states. We perform these unique events for:
- Corporations
- Companies of all sizes
- Historic theatres
- Hotels
- Universities
- Public and private schools
- Community Centers
- Fraternal Orders
- Sports Teams
- Libraries
- Museums
- Wedding rehearsals
- Anniversary parties
Grande Venues http://www.grandevenues.com/ My first development company was formed with my friend and first business partner, Mike Novelli. Our first client was the Wheaton Grande Theatre. Other projects include projects where we served as consultants, partners, investors, or a variety of roles:
- Rushmore School, MN
- Historic Masonic Temple Building, Enfield, NC
- The Former Owatonna School Project
- The Kasson School Project
- The State Street Theatre
- The Wheaton Grand Theatre, IL
- The Liberty Paramount Theatre, OH
- The Portage Park Theatre
- The Jefferson Street Theatre
- The Uptown Theatre (Chicago)
- The Uptown-Majestic Theatre (Racine)
- The Lawford Theatre
- The Parkway Theatre
- The Ellendale Opera House
- The Westmont Theatre
- Enean Theatre
- Lafayette Theatre
- The Redwood Theatre
Historic Hotels and Lodges
- The Ellendale Hotel
- Quarters One
- Oakes Hotel Development
- Chicago Athletic Association Project
- The Masonic Temple (Grand Island, NE)
Other Historic Projects
- The Historic Elba Water Tower
- The Sky Club
- Cultural Block Aberdeen, SD
- Wishek City Hall (former)
School Projects
- Former Owatonna High School, Owatonna, MN
- Kasson (Water Tower Place, Kasson, MN
- Emerson Union (Cenate / State Street Project , former Middle School New Ulm, MN)
- York School , York Nebraska
- Fairfax Middle School
- Community Projects
- City of Ellendale Arts Summit
- NUACT Retreat for Theatre Development
- Cultural Block Development, Aberdeen, SD
- Oakes Hotel Feasibility Study
- Enean Theatre, California
Studies, Surveys and Consulting
- Masonic Temple, Enfield, NC
- Parkway Theatre, Baltimore
- Malone New York Movie Theatre Project
- Siskiyou County Performing Arts Project
- Zoe Theatre (part of Pittsfield, IL Arts Assessment)
Paulie & Me
https://paulieandme.wordpress.com/
Longtime friends Paul Warshauer and Loren Margolese don’t agree on much. One thing they share is a love of good beer, and a well-run business. They combined these loves with a hearty helping of humor into a comedic adventure to create the best brewery in the US.
American Wiener
https://americanwiener.weebly.com/
American Wiener is a mockumentary series following the fictional travel and food show, American Wiener. It is a behind the scenes look at the beloved and eccentric host as he struggles to maintain top ratings with big changes. A new co-host, a shifting demographic, and increasing demands from the network make for a seemingly endless parade of mishaps and missing the mark.
The Mee-Ow Show at 50
A book project that traces the longest running college improvisational show in the United States. Paul co-created and produced the first show in 1974 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Street Corner Comic
https://streetcornercomic.com/
t began with Eli Hastings and Paul Warshauer performing in murder mysteries and evolved into this idea of a comic and a homeless man who become partners to make people laugh on street corners everywhere.
My Office and Favorite Places
My Office and Favorite Places
My Office and Favorite Places
I have been fortunate to have traveled widely and maintained offices in great places over the years.
Offices in:
Grand Island, Nebraska
Wheaton, Illinois
New Ulm, Minnesota
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Woodland Hills, California
Arlington VA (Washington, DC)
Settled now in Sleepy Eye, MN for now here is a video tour of my current office.
I continue to
I have been fortunate to have traveled widely and maintained offices in great places over the years.
Offices in:
Grand Island, Nebraska
Wheaton, Illinois
New Ulm, Minnesota
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Woodland Hills, California
Arlington VA (Washington, DC)
Settled now in Sleepy Eye, MN for now here is a video tour of my current office.
I continue to seek out creative opportunities in both historic real estate development and entertainment and to travel the WORLD.
Some of my favorite places on earth where I have visited, (in no particular order) are:
Chicago, Illinois
Florence, Italy
Papeete, Tahiti
The Vatican
The Casino in Monte Carlo
Gold Beach, Oregon
Devil's Tower, Wyoming
Blenheim Palace, England
Madrid, Spain
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Ketchikan, Alaska
Places I would like to see:
The Great Wall of China
Taj Mahal
Easter Island
Huacachina, Peru
Cappadocia, Turkey
Madagascar
Island of Skye, Scotland
The Pyramids of Egypt
Milford Sound, New Zealand