Theatre is a big deal around Wilmington–from Thalian Hall to Browncoat Pub & Theatre, the choices of performances each weekend are practically endless. Now there’s a new name in town: TheatreNOW. But this place offers a completely different theatre-going experience, because this isn’t just a theatre. It’s a dinner theatre.

Opening a theatre experience like this has been a long-time dream for owner of TheatreNOW, Alisa Harris. Denise Gordon, chef at TheatreNOW, shared some insight about Harris’ idea behind the institution.

“Alisa [Harris] wanted to do something unique,” said Gordon. “And there really isn’t one local space dedicated to dinner theatre.”

So she created one.

The theatre opened July 20 and features similar programming every weekend. On Friday nights, the main attraction is a live comedy dinner show, while on Saturday nights, audiences are entertained by a murder mystery. Even though the story stays the same each week for the murder mystery, the show is always a little different.

Junior Davis Byrd acts in the Saturday night shows and loves the freedom the show allows.

“You can’t stray from the storyline, but there is a lot of improvisation, depending on the audience,” said Byrd.

The cast often goes out to speak to audience members while they’re eating, Wilmington-related trivia questions are asked and the audience even gets a chance to guess the murderer’s identity.

“It’s so much fun,” said Byrd. “We’re always in giggle fits by the end of the show. And the food is great.”

Gordon serves creativity and fun in her dishes. She does two separate dishes for Friday and Saturday night shows and has her fall-themed menu planned for October. For the entire month, the Friday night comedy show will be replaced by a “Food and Fright Night.”

“It will feature an appropriately-named menu,” said Gordon. “I won’t give it all away. But it will include bat’s blood soup–so you can imagine the color of it. For Sweeney Todd fans we’ll have Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie with roasted carrot fingers. And there will be a pumpkin-head crème brulée.”

The programming and menu will also change once the Christmas season comes around. The cast will perform a version of “A Christmas Carol,” and the menu will be Victorian- with such possibilities as English pudding with hard sauce, an oyster appetizer and butternut squash soup.

TheatreNOW also has activities for kids during the day on Saturday called Super Saturday Fun Time. The program involves a show featuring the Dock Street Kids, a Scooby Doo-esque mystery adventure that changes every week. Senior, Lauren Berg acts in these show every weekend and believes it has helped her grow as an actor.

“There are different scripts each week so it keeps me on my toes,” said Berg. “I’ve gotten a chance to meet other actors who don’t go to UNCW and work with fantastic people. I’m really glad I got a chance to have this experience.”

Davis Byrd also spoke highly of her experience with the theatre.

“It’s been a great opportunity, completely different than what you’re trained for,” said Byrd. 

However, TheatreNOW doesn’t limit itself to live theatre. Every Sunday morning they serve a traditional southern brunch while a live jazz band plays. Each Sunday evening they present movies ranging from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” to “The Hunger Games.” During the movie, they serve bar food such as pizza and sandwiches, as well as drinks.

“We’re not just about live performance,” said Gordon. “We’re about all performance.”

TheatreNOW filled the only void left in the Wilmington theatre and performance art  and served it on a steaming plate of meat pie and carrot fingers.