Review: THE DINNER

At the St. Vladimir Institute, 620 Spadina Ave. Written and directed by Jason Murray. Starring: Jennifer De Lucia, Jessie Gabe, Sean Kaufmann, Andrew Knowlton, Deanna L. Palazzo, Trevor Small, Daniel Stolfi, Breanne teBoekhorst.

Produced by Upstage Productions and pivotal(arts) theatre company inc.

First of all, bravo to this company of committed people who just want to put on plays and have been doing so for six years. This is my first time seeing their work and it is also impressive that they had such a big audience on such a lousy rainy night.

THE DINNER, written and directed by Jason Murray, is that kind of situation where a group of people are invited for dinner, painful truths and secrets are told and the result can be the end of friendships and relationships, or a new understanding develops.

Unfortunately neither happens in THE DINNER. While Jason Murray’s Director’s/Writer’s note tries to point out that his play is complex and full of cogent observation, the reality is that his play is really overblown with clichéd situations and underdeveloped characters.

In the same note Mr. Murray presents his theory of directing and in particular how he directed this play. His director’s note suggests that Mr. Murray is a novice at this endeavor and his actual direction of the play proves it.

The premise of THE DINNER is that a couple, Lance and Grace, invite three couples for Thanksgiving dinner. Most of them have been friends since high school. One woman friend brings a date. He is the stranger to the group. They are waiting for another couple who are late.

There is banter about the scourge of electronics and our love of them; the evils of commercialist and consumerism, and other philosophical rants from most of the assembled. It all rings hollow. No one actually talks like that. It isn’t banter. It seems like Mr. Murray is using these characters as mouthpieces for what peeves him.

When the other couple arrives and the insults fly, usually from one pompous doctor to the assembled, it becomes obvious that these people loath each other. And no I don’t believe the hostess when she says that this truth telling was a long time coming. These characters are not good enough actors to have hidden all this venomous animosity all these years. So again, Mr. Murray’s situations don’t ring true. There are so many revealed secrets whizzing through the air, one almost got dizzy.

Negotiating eight actors around a space is daunting for even an established director. Mr. Murray reveals his lack of experience by having actors move for no reason; having important scenes upstage where the lighting is inadequate; and generally being defeated by the writer’s premise. Remember Mr. Murray also wrote THE DINNER.

I noted that there are eight characters yet chairs/seats for only six of them. And no you cannot sit three people on a two person loveseat without all three looking cramped and silly. This is just common sense.

There is a long table upstage where the hosts are fussing with preparations, yet the guests don’t sit at that table or any table for that matter for this dinner. Instead they are told to sit where they can and the plates, cutlery and food is brought to them. Makes no sense. They are all told to be there at 7:30 sharp—one expects that the food will be ready precisely soon after. But no. The late couple arrive a half hour late and after more banter are told that the next part of the meal will be ready in 15 minutes. Makes no sense.

Much of the dialogue is lost because the actors talk so quickly or screech their lines as to be unintelligible. Some show promise—but all of them are hampered by their frequent inability to be understood

Ok. Enough. Again, bravo to this company for wanting to do theatre. But this effort is a disappointment and just not good enough.

THE DINNER plays at the St. Vladimir Institute 620 Spadina Ave. until Oct. 29.