Ever wonder where your favorite stuffed animal went after you sold it in a garage sale? Maybe it is living the life of luxury in Buckingham Palace or co-piloting an expedition to the Ozarks.
This basic principle of the unknown is brought out in full force in the theater department’s new play “The Dining Room.”
The play features newcomers to U. theatre. I figured ok, I’ll go see this play, the best I was expecting was a sub-par performance and a mediocre play, but what I got completely blew me away.
If you go to this play you will be confused at first. Aggie is Susie, Winky is Annie, Billy is Charlie, everywhere you look somebody is playing a different part, very confusing until you realize what is actually going on. This play is not about the characters corresponding with each other, it’s about the everyday events that take place within the dining room and more specifically the dining room table. You have to realize that there are many different time periods being shown in one scene, so the actors got to play at least three different roles a piece, and they did this beautifully.
Written by A. R. Gurney Jr., and directed by doctoral student, Dale Young, this interesting journey through the metaphorical eyes of the dining room table captures the essence of what real life actually is.
The format is not an ordinary one and is not that easy to pull off. Along with the young cast and the help of Young, this play is a tremendous brain teasing success.
The scene that stole the show was the birthday party. In this scene, we are again in the dining room with party hats on and party bags being opened. There are kids scattered around the table and two adults in the room in this scene.
The actors did a great job of forgetting their previous character that they had just played transform themselves into young kids. The energy and tone of voice by the cast involved did an outstanding job of taking us through what would happen at a child’s birthday party in a very comical way.
This play is not about being funny for the sake of being funny. This play is about being funny for the sake of being real. Everyone can relate to each scene is this play.
“The Dining Room” is not your ordinary school play. It’s a more creative and thought provoking ride through our everyday lives. It could not have been pulled off without the directing and all of the acting ability of everyone involved, they truly made the show a success and an enjoyable experience.
