Theatre of Dare offers ‘dinner and a show’ for Now and Then

Published 3:01 pm Monday, January 6, 2025

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Emily Thigpen and Nick Oprea play couple Jamie and Abby in the Theatre of Dare production of “Now and Then,” opening January 10 at the Black Pelican restaurant in Kitty Hawk. Courtesy Theatre of Dare

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Offbeat romantic dramedy playing at the Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk beginning Jan. 10

When Theatre of Dare made the decision to present Now and Then as an Off-ToDWay production this winter, its director immediately decided he wanted the barroom setting … to be a real bar.

“We looked everywhere from Manteo to Duck,” laughed first-time director Logan Stem. “And the Black Pelican was the perfect place to build our version of the watering hole in the play.”

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The longtime favorite Kitty Hawk dining establishment was more than happy to oblige, and to offer T.O.D. something they’ve never been able to offer before: dinner and a show.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to offer this to our audience,” says Theatre of Dare business director Kelsey Thompson. “This opens up a whole new set of possibilities for us.”

The show itself is set in 1981, as young bartender Jaime (Nick Oprea) and his waitress girlfriend Abby (Emily Thigpen) are getting ready to close up. Suddenly, a desperate last-minute customer (Kevin Walker) enters and offers them $2,000 to sit and have a drink with him.

“The stranger starts to ask some really personal questions,” says real-life bartender Oprea. “It unsettles Jaime and Abby a bit, but it also gets them thinking about the future the couple is planning together.”

The reason the man gives for his interest seems insane, but just when the couple is ready to throw the stranger out, a very displeased second stranger (Mary Ross) arrives.

The show is part drama, part comedy and part romance, with a heavy dose of philosophically pondering the consequences of the decisions we all make in life.

But the first decision the audience will have to make for this unique Theatre of Dare show is “pasta, chicken or fish?”

“Now and Then” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 10, 11, 17 and 18 with matinees Jan. 12 and 18 at 2 p.m. All performances will be upstairs at the Black Pelican in Kitty Hawk, located at 3848 N. Virginia Dare Trail. Tickets are $55 for dinner and a show, which will include a three course meal, and $15 for the show only. Tickets are available online at theatreofdareobx.com, with a limited number of “show only” tickets available at the door. Dinner and a show tickets must be pre-purchased ahead of time. This show is rated PG for mild language and innuendo.

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