Live Entertainment at the Lodges of Gettysburg

Fine food and live entertainment at the Lodges of Gettysburg are attracting fun-loving locals to escape to nature in its pristine setting overlooking Gettysburg’s hallowed ground.

On 63 acres nestled atop one of Gettysburg’s highest ridgelines with views of Little Round Top and Big Round Top, the Lodges — once the site of Camp New Dawn — was conceived as a corporate retreat entitled “Gloryridge at Gettysburg” almost 30 years ago. According to Director of Events Beth Senseney, corporate and wedding events began there in 2011, but recently the Lodges started adding events tailored to the local community.

Ovation Dinner Theater

Ovation Dinner Theatre began performing interactive murder-mystery-comedy shows there three years ago. Owners Carreen Kouts and Lenne Sirasky (who handle tech and often perform) partnered with the Lodges as an entertainment source at a mutual meeting in April of 2022.

“They kind of jumped on it,” Sirasky says. “In our seventh show there now, we continue to draw huge crowds.”

The Ovation shows are not typical to the theater scene in Gettysburg. A small cast of thespians (which, for the purpose of disclosure, may include me) are tapped from a talent pool of ~170 professional actors and joined by volunteer audience members who read small comedic roles.

Audience interaction is up-close and personal — actors have been known to plop into patrons’ laps for a laugh. The comedy and the food prepared onsite at the Gloryridge Tavern and Grill are geared to adults, the bar remains open, and the laughter is loud.

Improv is a popular part of the loosely scripted performances that patrons are welcome to join in. And at least one main character dies dramatically by the end of Act 1, leaving audience members to fathom “who dunnit” by show’s end. Gift certificates will be awarded to one person who guessed correctly and to another voted “best actor” by their peers.

Preshow, guests may fill out a form in the program registering interest in joining Ovation’s talent pool to perform in Gettysburg and/or at other locations (see Ovation Dinner Theatre). (After attending “Dials S for Santa” at the Lodges last July, Gettysburg resident Christie Lanasa will make her debut performance on Feb. 1 in the role of Lilly Paparazzi.)

Ovation has three dinner theatre nights scheduled in Gettysburg at the Lodges in 2025: “Til Death Do Us Part,” Feb. 1; “Dancing to Death – Murder at Studio 79,” July 19; and “Murder at the Long Branch Saloon,” Nov. 7. Attendance is by reservation only; for details, see The Lodges of Gettysburg Dinner Theatre.

Senseney says the Lodges began hosting its live entertainment “mostly after COVID,” and that feedback and attendance have been very good.

Kouts from Ovation says, “The patrons always bring high energy; they’ve flocked to the Lodges to see our shows time after time.”

Although Ovation is the Lodges’ only acting troupe, it recently hosted a stand-up comedy night. And Brittany Edie from Graceful Balance Collective led a one-day yoga retreat entitled “Winter Reflections” there in mid-January.

Edie says she expects to sell out the Collective’s “Women’s Wellness Conference,” which will accommodate about 120 women and is scheduled at the Lodges on June 10. Senseney and the Lodge’s staff, she says, work hard at creating a welcoming atmosphere; her experience there has been “an absolute pleasure.”

“Beth is always readily available to answer questions and goes above and beyond to bring my vision to life,” she writes in an email.

For the near future, Senseney hopes to add another comedy night and some musical talent to the schedule — which includes but is not limited to dinner theatre, Sunday and holiday brunches, special dinners and a wellness retreat — and possibly some free community events geared to children.

“I like the sense of accomplishment that comes from trying to plan the perfect event and making people happy,” Senseney says.

The Lodges of Gettysburg is a 63-acre scenic retreat offering private lodging overlooking Hunter Lake at 685 Camp Gettysburg Road, (717) 408-1688. In the main lodge, the Gloryridge Tavern and Grill, (717) 642-2500, is open and serves a full menu Wednesday and Thursday, 4–9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4–11 p.m.; Friday 4–11 p.m.; and on Sunday, 3–8 p.m.

patti restivo
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Patti Restivo is an actor, director, writer, artist and theatre hound who’s tread on and around the boards for more than 30 years. She has devoted much of her creative energy in the last decade to writing feature stories and show reviews for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, where she won MDDC Press Association Awards for business, feature story non-profile, religion and arts/entertainment reporting. A regular reviewer at theatres performing on the outskirts of Baltimore, Annapolis, and D.C., she recently moved to Gettysburg where she looks forward to exploring the arts and history of her new “small city” hometown.

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