Cary Players Serve Up Ensemble Fun

The Cary News - Jun. 30, 2005

The Dining Room Review

Wouldn't it be fun to be a fly on the wall in a neighbor's or relative's home, just for a little while? What if someone could see the goings-on in your dining room? Or maybe you don't have a dining room.

Growing up, neither did I. But my grandmother did, and I remember well the many gatherings in that tiny room with its dark wood, dusty plants and bureau filled with old treasures--photos and trinkets from the past.

My grandmother is gone, but that room remains a holiday gathering spot for extended family today.

Even if you didn't, or don't have such a room, the Cary Players' production of "The Dining Room" resonates with audiences of all generations.

The play--a series of vignettes--takes place in the same dining room over several decades.

The audience gets to see the relationship between upper middle-class families and that quintessential gathering place change through history, from its formality in the early 20th century to its being largely forgotten as modern casual living shifted to the kitchen.

Let me tell you, more than eating goes on in a dining room; there can be affairs, shouting matches, power struggles and serious life-and-death conversations.

Personally, I remember the food more than anything--doughnuts after church, luncheon spreads of cold cuts and cheeses, holiday cookies. And my grandmother, seated and stirring her tea.

Funny, at times hilarious and poignant, and cleverly streamed with each scene overlapping the next, "The Dining Room" represents ensemble acting at its best--with young people playing old people and grown adults playing children.

And to think these dedicated actors do it all for free. It also goes to show you don't need an elaborate stage to entertain an audience.

The production continues this week, including shows June 30 and July 1 at 7:30 p.m., at Page-Walker Arts & History Center downtown. For ticket information call 469-4061.