The co-founders of Sock & Buskin Theatre Company, Stefanie Austin, Kari Williamson and Gregg Baptista, came together with a common vision and passion to re-energize interest in building community in the area, especially in the arts.

“I’ve always felt like there is nothing in the world like live theatre. It brings people together to make them laugh, cry, think, learn, wonder,” Austin said.

The theatre company finished their regular season with “The Witching Hour,” an original murder mystery comedy co-written by Kari Williamson and Nate Schierman. The story was centered around the three Grimore sisters — Hazel, Athena and Lorelei, played by Melissa Brannen, Kari Williamson and Liz Fuhrmann. As their magical powers began to go haywire, the three witches were determined to discover what was causing their loss of magic and save the Spirited Healing Center.

As Act I came to an end, Phoenix Draco, the conniving warlock played by Eric Ziegler, was murdered and every character had a motive for wanting him gone. It was up to the “witnesses” to decipher the clues and figure out who committed the murder. It was impressive that the actors never broke character as they answered questions from the audience. Williamson expressed that her favorite part of murder mystery dinner theatre is the interaction with the audience.

LISA SCHROPP/THE EXPRESS Liz Fuhrmann answers questions from the audience while portraying Lorelei Grimore in “The Witching Hour.”

“When you’re doing a play in a theatre, you don’t get to mingle with the audience. The dinner theatre experience gives us that flexibility, and I really love that aspect of it. I love improv and the fun conversations that come as I walk from table to table,” Williamson said.

The Grimore sisters were compelling enough on their own, but the comedy really amped up when Dan Putnam and Jane Warren, witch rehabilitation specialists played by Kyle Stanley and Stefanie Austin, entered the picture. Austin did a convincing job of showing Jane’s distaste for the witches through her facial expressions and apprehension to walk inside the healing center.

“I’ll admit, when it comes to acting, I’m a ham. I pounce on opportunities to exaggerate and to bring comedy. Jane is so different from the other characters in the show, and I just leaned into that. Jane was a lot of fun to play and I’ll miss her,” Austin said.

The stand out moment was when Hazel unknowingly drank a truth serum, which caused her to “spill the tea” on everyone, including her sisters. From criticizing Lorelei’s wardrobe to outing Athena and Dan’s secret relationship to admitting that she still had feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Phoenix (who is currently in a relationship with Lorelei) and revealing that they were losing their magical powers in front of a potential investor…no secret was safe and it was hilarious to watch.

Pop Culture references were seamlessly incorporated throughout the show. Whenever a character used the word “buggle” (a spin on the word muggle made famous by the Harry Potter series) in reference to a person who lacks any sort of magical ability, another character was sure to begin singing “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

LISA SCHROPP/THE EXPRESS Sela Plummer made her debut with Sock & Buskin Theatre Company.

The most notable influence to me was The Wizard of Oz. At one point, their niece Miranda Grimore, played by Sela Plummer, came out wearing the famous Glenda the Good Witch dress. When asked about her choice of outfit, Miranda innocently replied, “Dan said to dress for the job that we want and I want to be a good witch.” Memorable lines like, “Don’t let a house fall on you” and “throwing water on a witch” were sprinkled throughout the play.

At the heart of the story was the relationship between the three sisters. They learned lessons in confidence, forgiveness and that the power was inside of them all along. “Our power can’t be taken away. We either give it away or claim it” was my favorite line in the play.

I think that every woman could relate to one of the sisters…Hazel, the responsible and steadfast eldest sister, Athena, the sensitive dreamer who wants someone who loves her for who she is, or Lorelei, who is rebellious and skeptical of outsiders, but will fiercely protect her sisters.

After co-writing two comedies, Williamson wanted to write something that brought in themes of forgiveness, curiosity, right use of power and women supporting each other despite their differences…with a little touch of magic.

“Part of me wanted to play Lorelei because she does and says whatever comes to her with little regard for the consequences — very different from how I operate. But I wrote Athena because I wanted my daughter to see me play a character that despite her inner conflicts, ultimately chose to stay true to who she is,” Williamson said.

If you missed this funny and heartwarming story of magic and mayhem, don’t worry. Sock & Buskin Theatre Company is moving into the holiday season with It’s a Wonderful Life, a live radio play adapted by Joe Landry. The classic holiday tale has been adapted to a 1-hour performance that is staged as if you are watching a live radio play from inside the theatre — complete with the “on air” sign, vintage microphones and a live foley artist. This is sure to be a unique and memorable experience for young and old alike.

The Sock & Buskin Theatre Company is also busy preparing a variety of productions for next year including The Final Rose, another original murder mystery dinner theatre show, Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever, a comedic farce that starts with an outrageous premise, and Rapture, Blister, Burn by Gina Gionfriddo, a contemporary play with a focus on what is means to be a woman in modern times.

If you want to be a part of the action, the company has opportunities both on-stage and behind-the-scenes. They hold open auditions several times a year with the next one coming up on Dec. 2. They are also recruiting for production staff or those looking for less of a commitment are encouraged to join the volunteer list. For more details, go to www.sockandbuskintc.org, subscribe to their email list and/or follow them on social media @sockandbuskintc.

“I’m not sure if the community realizes just how much incredible talent we have here — you can see quality, original shows that you can’t see anywhere else. And that’s pretty special,” Austin said.