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Volume CXXXII, Number 10 |
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Wild theatrics on the dinner table
HANNAH DEAN
STAFF WRITER
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| Students attend Masque and Gown Dinner Theater, watching two one-act plays: All about Al and Naomi in the Living Room. All plays were directed by students and featured student actors. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient) |
The tables were set for a feast and the stage was set for a theatrical banquet. It was to be a night of culinary delight coupled with two humor filled one-acts-there is no greater way to spend a leisurely evening. This was definitely dinner theatre.
The evening began with All about Al, a one act by Cherie Vogelstein. The staging was sparse but tasteful and the setting was a small coffee shop-the meeting place of two friends: Lenny, played by Mike Balulescu '03, and Gil, played by Warren Dubitsky '04.
The one act was a mix of humor and serious dialogue concerning the dating world, its ups and its downs. Lenny, a portly, kind fellow, has been sent by Gil's girlfriend to try to convince Gil not to break up with him. During the dialogue, it becomes apparent that Gil is quite a jerk-all to ready to tell his friend about his girlfriend's willingness to "give head."
The majority of the dialogue used shock factor in order to get laughs out of the audience. However, despite its flippancy, the play also achieved many moments of poignancy. By the end it was Gil that ended up with Allison, played by Lynn Furick '04, who walked onto stage in skintight black boots and a short skirt.
After a brief interlude, during which desert was served-strawberry rhubarb cobbler, in case you were wondering-the second one-act, Naomi in the Living Room by Christopher Durang, began. The set consisted of a chair, a couch, and a coffee table on which sat a small white rabbit. Involving a mother whose mood swings were dizzying, her daughter in law, and her son who wishes above all to be like his spouse, this play could best be described as zany. It left many of the audience members slack-jawed and hoping that reality would set back in as soon as possible.
After the mother, Naomi played by Faye Hargate '04, attempted to have an orgasm on the couch-and quite convincingly to the actor's credit-one might have asked how the situation could get stranger. This question was soon answered when the son, John played by Daniel Bensen '06, walked in dressed in the same fashion as his wife (flowered dress and pearls).
Caitlin Conolly '05 who worked on the props and set for the shows commented that it was "fun working on dinner theater." "Both one acts this year were fun crazy shows" she said "which I enjoyed getting to see come together." Furthermore, she commented that "Because it is a low tech show, you get to have fun with small props without the greater stress of a full theater production."
The great thing about Dinner Theatre, said Conolly, is that the audience is "so close to the action." Indeed, the stage and dinner setting truly established a closer relation between actors and audience members. "Dinner theater," said Conolly "is an intimate kind of theater."
Dinner theater was put on by Masque and Gown, which is celebrating its 100th year next year. The accompanying dinner was graciously provided by Bowdoin College dining service.
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