Oliver hosts dinner theatre at local diner

Luverne residents and guests from the surrounding area enjoyed a night out Saturday, April 5, hosted by Lisa Michele Oliver, moderator for the social media group Crenshaw Cares. The dinner theatre, a 1950s murder mystery, was held in the Luverne diner, Dips and Dogs, owned by Tim and Kathy Dowdy.

Olived said she planned the event, one of two she hosted recently, to provide something fun and affordable for the residents of Crenshaw County. For the cost of a $15 ticket, guests received a role in the mystery where one was ultimately found guilty of murder through process of elimination.

Chris Ford drew his number at the onset of the drama, playing the guilty role he intuitively guessed would ultimately fall to him.

“I always wanted to come to [a murder mystery dinner],” Ford said. “I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but it was great. I was telling my wife on the way, ‘You watch, I’ll be guilty.’”

Brenda and Pat Waldrip said the dinner marked their third murder mystery.

“It’s better than an escape room,” Brenda said. 

“We’ve done [around] 50 of those,” Oliver added.

Julia Cordio, who went “all out” to dress in a 1950s-era costume, said she would recommend the experience to anyone unsure they would enjoy a dinner theater.

“If you’ve never been one of these before, tell people about it, because I had fun,” Cordia said. “I think everybody is scared to do it because they don’t know what to expect.”

Oliver expressed her gratitude to the Dowdy’s, who opened the diner after hours and offered participants the option to purchase hot dog or hamburger meals complete with a drink, chips and ice cream. She also thanked her family, husband Johnathan, sons Greyson and Jayden, who was not in attendance, and mother-in-law Darlene for their support.

Oliver’s earlier dinner theater, hosted by The Chicken Shack on March 8, raised funds to help local pet rescue, Animal Tails Rescue.

“It did really well,” Oliver said. “And, we enjoyed it.”

To learn more about events hosted in the area, follow the group Crenshaw Cares on social media.