'Dearly Departed' Dinner Theater , Shreveport , Louisiana

Dinner theater aims for family friendly shows .

John Kerry (Left) and Benjamin Arnold rehearse a scene from 'Dearly Beloved' at the Cabaret Theatre.



Betty Baker (left) and Michael Gagnard rehearse a scene from 'Dearly Departed' at the 'Cabaret Theatre' .

A new dinner theater in Shreveport will focus on comedies,
musicals and children's productions.

Founder Paul Moore, who operated BackAlley Community Theater in Grand Cane, wants to offer family friendly, date-night entertainment at the no-alcohol venue. He also hopes to encourage youngsters interested in the performing arts. The theater's third show, "Dearly Departed," is a redneck comedy with poignant moments. Moore is looking to do a children's musical in the fall.

"We're going to try to develop talent," Moore said. "We'll have a children's theater camp in June."

The theater operates in a 75-seat venue at the former Arkla Gas Co. building in Shreveport. It got off to a rocky start in September when the state health
department halted dinner before the first performance. However, patrons stayed for the play. Moore said the company worked out permitting issues before the next show, a Christmas musical program. Sets are minimal this season, but Moore expects more elaborate staging in the second season.

 

"You have to crawl before you can walk," he said.

 

About 125 dinner theaters, ranging from 100 to 500 seats, operate in the United States at any time, said Bekki Jo Schneider, past president of the National Dinner Theater Association. Schneider is owner and producer of Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville, Ind.

 

The format got its start in the early 1950s and grew nationally through the 1970s before the economy caused it to dwindle. However, dinner theater has experienced a renaissance in the past decade, ranging from community-group efforts to large-scale venues.

 

Budgets for existing theaters run from $10,000 to $3 million. The most successful theaters feature quality food and entertainment and a management team that knows local tastes, Schneider said.

 

"It is a very diverse and private industry," she said.

 

Benjamin Arnold, of Shreveport, attended a dinner theater production nine years ago at a local church and enjoyed the experience. Now he's experiencing it from a different perspective as a member of the "Dearly Departed" cast.

 

"Never in a million years would I have seen myself being a part of the production," he said of his experience as an audience member.

 

But Arnold's decision to pursue his dreams of the stage led him to Cabaret Theatre. His turn as Junior, a failed businessman, is his third role. By day he's a pre-med student at LSUS.

 

"I really like the character. The description Paul gave of the character, that he attempted to work for himself and it didn't work out so well, I could relate to that," Arnold said. "I started a couple of businesses, and that didn't work out so well."

Connect with Melody Brumble on Twitter @mbrumble.