Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster continues to thrive after COVID-19, Inflation

• Aniya Faulcon
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Aniya Faulcon is The Spark Host/Producer for WITF. She has a passion for shining a light on unique people, experiences, and perspectives within the community.
  
  Previously she worked as the People and Social Trends Reporter/Video Anchor for LancasterOnline | LNPNews. During her time there, she created video packages, provided Facebook Live coverage at community events, and wrote data-driven stories with census data and feature stories on local leaders, non-profit organizations, events, and people with unique talents and experiences within Lancaster County.
  
  Aniya also worked at WMAR ABC 2 News as a Sales Assistant and at the AFRO American Newspapers as an Executive Assistant and Media correspondent. Aniya interned at WEAA Gospel Grace 88.9 and worked at her alma mater’s radio station, WWPJ at Point Park University, where she gained skills and a passion for radio.
  
  Aniya grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and attended the Baltimore School for the arts for high school with a concentration in acting. She continued to hone her skills and passion for storytelling and later graduated from Point Park University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and Broadcast Reporting. Aniya is eager to continue her journey with storytelling in her role with WITF, as she aims to shed a light on real people and real stories within Pennsylvania in a variety of mediums.

 Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

Standing (left to right) is Thomas and Deborah Prather, founders of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. Seated (left to right) is Will and David Prather, owners of Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre.

Airdate: March 29th, 2023

For thirty-six years, the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster has put on shows and served full course and buffet style dinners to over 150,000 guests. On The Spark Wednesday, we heard the backstory of how this theatre came to be, how they continue to thrive amongst challenges and the story of an actress in several of their productions. Erika Wolf, chief operating and financial officer at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Dominic Lau, technical and scenic director at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and Brynne Davidson, an actress in Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre productions, joined us for this discussion.

The owners of the theatre, Thomas and Deborah Prather, got married six months after meeting on a TV show in Harrisburg, where Deborah interviewed Thomas about his involvement in theater. After they got married, they put on several theater production together throughout the state; until they eventually opened Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre with the ideas and designs they drafted on a Denny’s restaurant napkin.

Today, their theater, which seats three hundred twenty-eight people, brings a wide variety of shows to the region. However, due to inflation, the theater was forced to increase their prices and put a mask mandate in place for audience and cast members.

“It was difficult, especially as a dancer,” Davidson said. “Breathing is hard enough while dancing at such a high intensity with a mask. On top of that, it was a whole new way of adjusting to doing shows and accommodating for safety precautions.”

Wolf said, although their theater had challenges and changes to adjust to, they’re looking forward to growing and giving their audience what they want in this season and the next seasons to come.