June 30, 2026
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s Summer Dinner Theatre brought students and community members together through “Death by Disco,” an interactive murder mystery presented June 16-20 and June 23-27 that combined live theatre, dinner and audience participation.
Presented annually in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium, Summer Dinner Theatre has been a part of Northwestern State’s summer calendar for nearly 25 years. Audience members share tables, interact with performers and become part of the mystery throughout each production.
“It’s been going on a really, really long time, almost 25 years,” said Robert Richoux, director of production and design at Northwestern State University and director of Summer Dinner Theatre. “Unless you buy out a full table, you’re typically going to have to sit with someone you probably don’t know. It just allows you to start those conversations because everyone is trying to figure out who did it.”
Directed by Richoux, “Death by Disco” welcomed audience members to the fictional Land of Oz Discoteria during the World Championship King and Queen of Disco Dance Contest. The interactive murder mystery invited audience members to become part of the performance while enjoying dinner served by the cast.
The production featured student performers Rosey Files of Cleveland, Texas, as DJ BoogyMan; Jezek Maxwell of Hallsville, Texas, as Tony Moroni; Valerie Henderson of Covington as Kathleen O’Reilly; KeShaun Bridgewater of Gonzales as Vincent Elbodini; Hannah Miller of Lake Charles as Angela Moroni; Kaitlyn Williams of Arp, Texas, as Theresa Maria DeNiro; and Beau Bernard of Thibodaux as Wally Papo.
Valerie Henderson of Covington said performing in Summer Dinner Theatre allows her to interact directly with audience members in ways that are different from a traditional stage production.
“You can expect a lot of characters interacting with the audience. We get to make people laugh, and I love that I get to do that for people,” Henderson said. “You could have people sitting by each other that have never met each other before, but all of a sudden they’re big into this murder mystery trying to figure out who did it. It doesn’t just bring us as a cast and crew together. It brings people from the community together.”
KeShaun Bridgewater of Gonzales said interacting with audience members throughout the production helped him build relationships with fellow cast members.
“It’s fun having different interactions with different tables, feeding off of that. It feels like family when you’re constantly with these people. You get to know them,” Bridgewater said. “Most of these people are either professors or local residents. It’s been nice knowing that I’m a part of something bigger than myself.”
Summer Dinner Theatre continues with “Country Summer Nights,” a musical revue, July 14-18 and July 21-25 in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium.
Information about Summer Dinner Theatre and tickets is available at nsula.edu/theatre.
Summer Dinner Theatre
Beau Bernard interacts with audience members during Northwestern State University’s Summer Dinner Theatre production of “Death by Disco.”