The Playhouse of Wilson will reprise the first act of its world premiere "The Dixie Swim Club" as part of Theatre of the American South.

The dinner theater will take place at Imagination Station this Saturday and next with a Southern dinner buffet at 5:30 p.m.; the presentation begins at 6.

The time allows theater goers to see the afternoon presentation of "Fair and Tender Ladies" at The Boykin Center, walk down to the Imagination Station for dinner and a one-act show, and then be back at The Boykin Center in plenty of time for the evening performance of "Steel Magnolias."

Theater of the American South's managing director, Gary Cole, approached The Playhouse about offering a dinner theater with a one-act play as part of this season's festival.

In the process of looking for a one-act to perform, several of the cast members from the September production of "The Dixie Swim Club" asked the playwrights -- Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Fremont native Jamie Wooten -- if they had a one-act that could be performed. They suggested the first act of "Dixie."

This abbreviated version spans a period of five years.

The show is a hilarious comedy about friendships that last forever.

It's set in North Carolina. Wilson audiences who attended the opening night of the world premiere in September will remember meeting the playwrights at the pre-show reception and the post-show party at the Wilson Arts Center.

The Playhouse cast features five of its veterans, Ann Brna, Cyndi Broadwater, Kathy Creech, Becky Vanden Bosch and Debbie Williams, four of whom were in the original production.

The women of "Dixie" are distinctively Southern. They met years before on their college swim team. Since graduation, they have gathered every August for a long weekend on the Outer Banks to recharge their relationships.

"The Dixie Swim Club, Act I" focuses on two of those weekends at the same beach cottage on the Outer Banks. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, the five friends reconvene to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other's lives.

Audience members will enjoy a dinner catered by Sylvia's that includes fried chicken, ham and barbecue pork ribs along with four vegetables and three desserts, including that good ol' Southern standby, banana pudding. Hush puppies, rolls, tea and water will be included.

TICKETS are $25 and can be purchased only at the Wilson Arts Center. Seating is limited and reserved. For ticket information, call The Playhouse at 291-8951 or The Wilson Arts Center at 291-4329.