The Searcy Summer Dinner Theatre is celebrating its 30th season with its first production, “The Night of January 16th,” by Ayn Rand. The play will be performed in the Ulrey Performing Arts Center at Harding University, June 7-10 and 14-16.

Set entirely in a courtroom, “The Night of January 16th” is a three-act play focused on the murder of Bjorn Faulkner, the leader of a vast financial empire. The play leads the audience to question what kind of man he really was. Did he commit suicide or did his secretary kill him? This play uniquely engages the audience as the jury to determine the final verdict.

“Searcy Summer Dinner Theatre is celebrating our 30th birthday!” producer Dr. Steven Frye said. “Beat the heat and give yourself a special treat by joining us for one of our shows this summer.”

Cast includes Searcy residents: Lydia Brumfield as Karen Andre, Lauren Lawson as Nancy Lee Faulkner, Gerad Vandegrift as Mr. Flint, Derek Glover as Mr. Stevens, J. Earl Mansur as Mr. Whitfield, Jonathan Aders as Inspector Sweeny, Wendy Neill as Magda Svenson, Patrick Reilly as Siegurd Junquist, Logan Light as "Guts" Reagan, Robbie Ballew as Homer Van Fleet - Private Detective, Wendy Smith as Dr. Kirkland - Medical Examiner, Dillon Holden as Mr. Hutchins - Doorman, Amy Dorsey as Ms. Chandler - Handwriting Expert, Sarah Vandergrift as Court Clerk and Jon Bucher as the Judge.

“The Night of January 16th” will be performed with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:30. All seats are reserved. Tickets are $25 each or $15 for show-only seats. Reservations can be made online at www.hardingtickets.com or at the Ulrey Performing Arts Center box office from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information, call 501-279-4580.

Other productions for the summer series include “Southern Hospitality,” which runs June 28-July 1 and July 5-7, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” running July 19-22 and 26-28. Season tickets are still available at the box office for $60 each.

With an enrollment of more than 7,100 students, Harding is the largest private university in Arkansas and attracts more National Merit Scholars than any other private university in the state. Harding also maintains campuses in Australia, Chile, England, France, Greece, Italy and Zambia. For more information visit www.harding.edu.