Muskingum University students will perform in A.R. Gurney, Jr.’s The Dining Room Feb. 16-18 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Sandra Wolfe Thompson Theatre in Philip and Betsey Caldwell Hall.
The Dining Room is set in a single dining room, comprised of 18 scenes depicting 18 different families. Households are interrelated and create a portrait of the declining upper-middle class White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, focusing on special occasions, life lessons, and family matters.
Professor of Theatre and Director, Dr. Diane Rao, said she is very excited to present the play to the public and rehearsals are going well.
“We have actors that are going to be playing many characters,” said Rao. “This will make for a fun experience for audiences to see.”
Associate Professor of Communication and Theatre and Design Director, Ron Lauck, said the play is one of his favorites. Lauck once directed the play in the 1990s.
“What I like about it is it personifies the dining room,” said Lauck. “In other words, these are reports the dining room is giving us about the things it remembers in its lifetime.”
Lauck said he is liking how his ideas about the set design are appearing on the stage because the scenes in the play can be presented in many different ways.
“That offers opportunity and challenge for a number of actors,” said Lauck.
Members of the cast include Lane Tokie, Erin King, Ceylan Mercimek, Jakob Goins, Juan Dunlap, Maria Thurston, Adam Livingston, Ariana Del Signore, Olivia Brown, and Liz Files, with Julia Langan as Stage Manager.
Tickets for the public are $5 each, available at the door prior to the performance or by calling the theatre box office at 740-826-8376. Muskingum University faculty, staff, and students are admitted free with their university identification card.
