Liz Corcoran from Dark Side Theatre, whose Philly Fringe production Murder! opens on Friday, reports on how they pay fuel their actors: chili dip!

Since we can’t pay our actors, we at least feed them, and we thought it might be fun to share the recipe for Dark Side Theatre’s Trashy Chili Dip (It is definitely trashy, but also definitely very tasty):

2 cans of chili (with/or without beans. You can use vegetarian chili if desired.)
2 bars of cream cheese
2 cups of shredded cheese (we like the Mexican blend)

In a shallow baking dish, spread a layer of chili. Slice the cream cheese bars and place the bars on top of the chili. Top with shredded cheese, until the cream cheese and the chili are covered. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the chili is bubbling. Serve with tortilla chips and/or crackers.

We served this to our actors when we started our rehearsal schedule for Murder! with a couple of table readings. As the attached picture of the dip attests, it didn’t last long. Unfortunately, we neglect to take a picture of the dip before the vultures descended. If anyone is interested, we also have a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Murder! opens this Friday, September 4 at Chestnut Hill College’s Gruber Theater. We ruan 9/4, 9/5, 9/11, and 9/12 at 7:30pm (doors open half an hour prior) and a matinee show on 9/6 at 3pm. Tickets are $15.00/ $10 with a valid student ID. We won’t be serving the dip, but it will still be a blast.

–Liz Corcoran

Photos by Jillian Taylor