Dinner and a Show

Kiersten King and Jeremy Bossom in The Sound of Music.

The ancient art of dinner theater has struggled at times, but it’s alive and well in Hagerstown

By Erin Jones

The opening of Oklahoma on April 11 at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theater, marks a special milestone for owners Laura and Shawn Martin. The last time the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic graced the stage of the Hagerstown theater in 2008, Laura and Shawn starred as leading couple, Laurey and Curly.

Washington County Playhouse owners Laura and Shawn Martin.

Now, nearly two decades later, the couple not only owns the theater, but recently acquired Frederick’s Way Off Broadway Dinner Theater. As newly elected president of the National Dinner Theater Association, Laura Martin has a front row seat to the treasured pastime and the theaters working around the country to preserve and carry on the art form. 

Like a hidden portal to a world of make believe, Washington County Playhouse is tucked away behind City Hall in Cramer Alley. Red arrows and the signage with the bright red circle and white star point the way to the front door. Inside, the bustling entryway greets visitors with bright posters of shows past and present. Through the magic of theater and hospitality, the space appears paradoxically larger than the exterior would suggest, somehow playing the dual role of both restaurant and theater. 

“I love that it is all in one, that dinner and show,” Laura says. “It’s a whole evening experience.” 

The Martins purchased the playhouse in 2015, but they are the fifth family of owners since the theater’s opening in 1985. The couple met at the theater, during a production of A Christmas Carol. Shawn was on stage, and Laura off stage as a make-up artist. They would take the stage together the following year in leading roles of Oklahoma.  

But a bigger dream was formulating that would take shape over the next few years.  

“Shawn and I had always talked about how cool it would be to have our own theater,” Laura says. “The playhouse, of course, meant so much to him, and to both of us, but he had a deeper history with it.” 

By 2014, the couple, who by then had married, found themselves on the precipice of a new opportunity. Laura had made the decision to leave her job as a schoolteacher, and the couple was presented with the opportunity of purchasing the theater. 

Megan West and Megan DiFalco in The Sound of Music.

Shawn suggested they seriously consider it, imagining the playhouse as their legacy. 

Shortly after purchasing the theater 2015, Shawn lost his corporate job, raising the stakes for the couple to make the theater a success. They added programming like Theater for Young Audiences, which typically features adult actors performing for children as the audience, as well as Children’s Theater, which gives children the opportunity to perform, through their summer theater camps and educational programming. 

Once the transition in ownership was finalized, the Martins were intentional about reaching out to audiences and patrons, introducing themselves at shows and inviting season pass holders into the theater’s next chapter. As a result, some current season pass holders have patronized the theater across ownerships, decades, and generations. 

“For some season pass holders, their parents had season passes and now they have season passes. Now they bring their kids and grandkids, and that’s so special,” Laura says. “Lots of memories have been made.” 

Washington County Playhouse is non-union but professional. The performers are paid a stipend per performance and also have the option to double as the restaurant staff, to the delight of the patrons. 

“Not all dinner theaters still do that,” Laura says. “We feel like that’s something that makes it really special. Our patrons love seeing our people in different roles. 

The actors aren’t the only ones to blend hospitality and entertainment. In creating the menu for the buffet meal, Shawn draws inspiration as much as possible from each show. For Grease, for example, the inspiration was 1950s TV dinner with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. For Sweeney Todd, naturally, meat pies. If a food is mentioned in a show, it is likely to make an appearance on the menu. 

Food is prepared in house. Shawn handles the kitchen and bar elements, supported by staff. He also handles show selection and negotiation of the rights and contracts that are necessary for each show. 

Rylee Carter, Logan Conner, Devan Strain, Ryan Smetzer, and Tyler Miller in Footloose.

In addition to the Martins, the theater is supported by a team of staff who cover roles like marketing and education. One staff member, Logan Connor, now the director of the Theater for Young Audiences and Theater Education, has been doing shows with the Playhouse since the age of 10. 

This year, the WCP enters a chapter that is not so much new as it is a return to its roots. In purchasing Frederick’s Way Off Broadway Theater, the Martins are rejoining a connection that the dinner theaters once had. Washington County Playhouse was founded in 1985 by Bruce Levin in partnership with Don Wiswell, who then founded Keynote Dinner Theater in 1990, renamed as Way Off Broadway in 1995. 

“It’s really cool for us to bring them back as sister theaters being owned under the same family again,” Laura says. “Our physical presence will be more at Way Off Broadway this year as we establish all of those systems and everything. But so far, everything is transferring beautifully.” 

The Martins became close with Way Off Broadway’s previous owners, Bill and Deb Kiska, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a halt. The shutdown ended up becoming a valuable time for sharing insights and experiences, while the theater was closed for eight months. 

“If we made it through COVID, we can make it through anything.” Laura says. “The playhouse has rebuilt to what we call ‘before times’ busy.” 

Laura is more familiar than most with the resilience and camaraderie of the dinner theater industry. Last year, she was elected president of the National Dinner Theater Association. This October, Way Off Broadway and Washington County Playhouse will host the organization’s national conference. 

“We share what shows are working, what shows we’re planning, what shows maybe aren’t selling as well.” Laura says. “It’s a very supportive organization. Dinner theater is alive and well, and it’s growing. There’s lots of exciting things happening in dinner theaters all around the country.” 

Jeannie Milito and Kevin Gross in Neil Simon's California Suite.

Theaters like Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois, and Candlelight Dinner Theater in Johnston, Colorado, are examples of growth and expansion nationwide. Meanwhile, closer to home in Columbia, Maryland, construction is underway for a New Performing Arts Center that will be the new home of Toby’s Dinner Theater. 

Meanwhile, in Cramer Alley, the freezing temperatures this winter were met inside the theater in the make-believe world of Frozen, which runs from through March 8. The playhouse is proud to have been among the first theaters in the area to be granted the rights to the show, and it will open under Shawn’s direction in Way Off Broadway on March 28, as the two theaters settle into a new season and bright future reunited. 

“I love what we do, and I love offering that experience. It’s all about the customer experience and offering them an opportunity to make memories with their family…that’s our vision and our mission at the playhouse and Way Off Broadway.” Laura says. “It’s an incredible honor. Shawn and I take that very much to heart that it’s an honor.”