Review: FINAL BOW at Grant County Community Theater

We do love a good ghost story attached to the older theatres, and the Grant County Theater, 407 E. Center St., in Sheridan put their history in a Murder Mystery Dinner production called FINAL BOW, which was written and directed by Summer Brinley. During the last weekend in July this group of actors not only told the tale of their charming historic church turned theater but fed us a delicious meal that made the pickiest diners happy. 

FINAL BOW is a play within a play. The actors gather for auditions and then work through the script of “Fairy Dust” during “the longest night,” which is an all-night rehearsal to appease the theatre ghost. After all, we don’t want to upset whoever it is that is haunting the place. There are a few suggestions and stories are told of a couple of deaths that happened nearby, not to mention that the construction work is tearing up the back to make a parking lot, which just so happens to be where the church cemetery is. While rehearsals play out, there are a lot of supernatural shenanigans going on, including a moment when everyone is physically controlled at the same time. Also, to add to the craziness, there is emotional drama between various actors as is generally the case due to romances and jealousy. So, who is causing the spooky occurrences?  

The cast put on a great show, and no one figured out the haunting until it was revealed. It incorporated humor, drama, and unexpected twists, and it was great to see that this was a true community experience. The cast ranged from the young to young at heart, and we loved the interaction that the cast had with the audience. 

  As in most dinner theatres, they started performing before the audience was aware of what was going on. The interactive experience and social interaction added to the enjoyment of this show. My table mates enjoyed the drama amongst the younger set of actors. I enjoyed hearing the history of the building. It was clear the whole community enjoyed this one, because they sold out all the performances.   

Dinner was catered by Sheridan Prime Fresh Meat Market. We had our choice of four different pastas, bread, salad and banana pudding. I sampled three of the four choices of pasta and decided that the chicken tomato basil pasta was the flavorful winner. However, it was all very yummy.  

I love supporting the Grant County Theater, because they play a vital role in enriching their community by fostering creativity, community spirit, cultural appreciation, and personal development among its participants and audiences alike. If you missed this last production, keep an eye on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/grantcountytheater/ for updates.