Kristen Pilot, playing Annie Marconi in "Slain at the Speakeasy" sits at the bar in character during a dress rehearsal on Wednesday at the Delft. In the background, Director Nicole Rossell and Producer James Peterson discuss fine point. (R. R. Branstrom | Daiy Press)

ESCANABA — The Delft, a downtown Escanaba icon, is once again a theater. This weekend, up to 100 audience members will attend an interactive murder mystery play accompanied by a four-course dinner.

For the last several weeks, cast and crew have been preparing for “Slain at the Speakeasy,” a performance set in the 1920s in an establishment with “the best moonshine and jazz singers in town,” according to the script by Kari Williamson and Nathaniel Schierman.

When he had the idea to begin doing dinner theater, James Peterson — owner of the Delft and producer of the show — put the call out far and wide. Actors from Delta County and beyond with varying levels of experience heeded and joined.

Several people from the Iron Mountain area — involved with Dickinson County Community Theater and Mr. Black Presents — are part of the cast alongside a couple familiar faces from Delta County’s award-winning community theatre, Players de Noc. Only two of the ten-person cast are acting for the first time. One actor has television experience.

All have been rehearsing at the venue at 907 Ludington St. three times a week for about a month. The show opened Friday with the second and final performance is set for tonight.

The audience will watch a play unfurl before their eyes, with the bar of the Delft serving as the stage. Tickets were limited to just 50 attendees, all of whom will be seated at tables in the front half of the building. By occupying only the dining room and bar, not the dance floor, the set created is intimate, placing viewers right in the scene.

As they pay attention to the theatrics, audience members will be collecting clues. After all, they will have the opportunity to ask questions of the characters and guess who might be guilty of murder.

Early on in the project’s planning phases, local creative Katie Bender helped Peterson get the ball rolling and coordinated useful connections. She was enlisted to direct the early rehearsals, but later stepped back and passed the director’s role to Nicole Rossell, a Players de Noc veteran and Escanaba resident.

As director, Rossell is competent, confident and experienced. She also has an acting role in the production — she plays Louise, the daughter of Ruth and Jimmy. In “Slain at the Speakeasy,” Jimmy has recently been murdered. Linda Carpenter, who plays speakeasy owner Ruth, says she’s been in theater since she was three years old. Over the last 50 years, she’s been on stage in Salt Lake City, London, New York City and more.

At the fictional Ruth’s Speakeasy in 1928, the no-nonsense owner has two rules: “no business and no guns.”

Maxwell Parker, played by Monroe King, is a detective. He also narrates.

The young King was in Missoula Children’s Theater in the past and a couple recent Players productions.

The character called Annie Marconi is Louise’s best friend. The role is filled by Kristen Pilot, another Player. One of the first characters seen, Annie is a jazz singer who doesn’t want to get too close with criminals.

Audience members will be prompted to interrogate the cast and determine who is a murderer as part of the interactive “Slain at the Speakeasy.”

William Werner, the crooked police chief, is played by Ben Verley, who was recently in “Sherlock 1899” for the Dickinson County Community Theatre.

Frankie, played by Rob Mason, is a mob boss. Though this is his acting debut, Mason — an ordained minister who performs weddings — said he’s not nervous about the upcoming shows.

Brandon Oxford plays Nicky, a moonshine-peddling mob boss in a neighboring county.

Oxford’s experience hadn’t been with speaking roles like Nicky’s, and he was surprised by the length of this script. On the Netflix show “Outer Banks,” Oxford had a background role. In “Slain at the Speakeasy,” he’s even got a couple singing parts. “This is definitely new to me, but I’m very excited,” Oxford said.

Playing cigarette girl Dorothy, described as “not the type of girl you’d typically find in a speakeasy,” is Lizzie DeMorrow, who entered the theater scene years ago in Louisiana and has volunteered for some front-of-house duties for Players de Noc.

Several cast members sang the praises of the teenage crew who have helped immensely. They’re the children of actors and also bring past theater experience to the table. Nick Card is props manager; Sam Pilot is production assistant; and Aaren DeMorrow is a stagehand who knows everyone’s lines.

As “Slain at the Speakeasy” is one of what Peterson and others hope will become a series of dinner theater events, the food by Casa di Napoli also plays a big part. Well, several parts — the multiple Italian courses are staggered throughout the night.

The first course will be served before the start of the play, which runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Courses two and three will be served between acts. A dessert accompanies the final reveal.

After the play, James plans to offer tours of the old production room and tunnels. A dance party will follow.

Like the nearby Michigan Theater, the Delft was purchased just a few years ago after a spell of vacancy. Gradual developments have been bringing the venue back for the community. Early events included concerts and parties, but a vision of culture is unfolding.

The Delft recently hosted a comedy night, which drew a different crowd who came to see the multiple comedians. More events are planned.

One major goal for the Delft is the restoration of a 1916 Wurlitzer organ that the Escanaba theater obtained in 2023. Local enthusiasts with the Great Lakes Bay chapter of the American Theater Organ Society are assisting.

Alcohol service on the nights of the murder mystery will raise money for the organ restoration. Though the Delft itself does not have a license to sell alcohol directly, a nonprofit group will conduct sales of beer and wine to collect money to help bring the Wurlitzer back to life.

When the murder mystery night was announced, there was initially only going to be one performance. But when the show for April 24 sold out quickly, another show was added. When asked what her hope was for this weekend’s productions, Rossell said “I want it to be a big success. He (James) has this big idea of doing dinner theater, and it’s a fantastic idea, and I want him to be able to succeed later on. And that hinges on this show being a success, and it’s only going to get better from here.”

She added that more productions at the Delft may be in the works for the summer, which is the off-season for Players de Noc, so that the two aren’t competing. People interested in keeping up with future happenings at the historic theater may follow The Delft on Facebook (facebook.com/thedelft).