"Abalone Diving: A Steven Oakwood Mystery" Dinner Theater

In its third year at Gualala Arts Center, this popular evening of interactive live theater sees the return of some of our favorite Steven Oakwood characters as well as lots of new people, says writer and creator, local playwright Dennis Carter, of The Sea Ranch. Sea Ranch thespian Karen Serratoni is back to direct.

Carter has created a plot line that juxtaposes the Gualala Arts’ Art in the Redwoods festival with the coast abalone season and includes a ghost who may or may not have committed the presented crime – or crimes.  As the story and evening (and meal) progresses with four scenes and four courses, it is up to the audience to try to unravel the string of events that leads to an ominous end.

Between courses prepared and served by the Gualala Arts Culinary Guild, table guests will discuss motives and perpetrators and by the night’s end one table will emerge the winner!

Carter says the fun for him lies in the audience’s reactions and real-time feedback about the story. “I really get a kick out of that!”

Some of Carter’s characters in this year’s mystery dinner are drawn from an award winning play he wrote in 2006. That play was featured in a six-week run at the Santa Cruz Actors Theater Eight Tens @ Eight festival that year.

The play happens in four acts. The dinner is in four courses. In between scenes, dinner courses are served and while enjoying a wonderful meal prepared by Gualala Arts’ Culinary Guild, each table of diners tries to solve the mystery and win the prize!