Donald Margulies won the 2000 Pulitzer Drama Prize for his sizzling comedy-drama Dinner with Friends; the 2001 film adaptation starring Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell was nominated for two Emmys. The Church Hill Theatre production of this renowned contemporary play, directed by Charles “Pat” Patterson, opens on January 15 and runs through January 31. In his New York Times review, critic Peter Marks noted a “…glimpse at the perils of breaking up becomes an original examination of the terrors of staying together.”
Beth (Darlene Greer) is served by Gabe (Paul Briggs) as Karen (Minnie) describes “Lemon Polenta cake.”
Couples Gabe and Karen and Tom and Beth have been best friends for more than a decade, sharing meals, vacations and children’s birthdays. When one marriage crumbles, the ripple effects threaten everyone. Paul Briggs and Minnie Maloney play Gabe and Karen, professional food writers comfortable in their careers and perhaps a bit too complacent about the strength of their own relationship. Darlene Greer and Christopher Wallace portray the couple in trouble: Beth, an artist in spirit if not on canvas, and Tom, a lawyer who seeks rejuvenation with someone new. A flashback to Gabe and Karen’s beach house, where Tom and Beth met and fell in love, lets the audience ponder why a couple stays together and another cannot. Frequently humorous but edgy, Dinner with Friends contains sexually explicit language and situations inappropriate for children and young teens.
Pat Patterson also directed last year’s CHT season opener, Lost in Yonkers, and recently appeared as Selsdon Mowbray in Noises Off. His production team consists of Producer Sylvia Maloney, Stage Manager/Assistant Director Sheila Austrian and Assistant Stage Manager Megan Boyle. The production team also includes Michael Whitehill, who designed and constructed the set, lighting designer Doug Kaufmann, and design coordinator Brian Draper. CHT regular Kat Melton will run both lights and sound for the production.
Church Hill Theatre’s 2016 season continues with Visit to a Small Planet in April, Fiddler on the Roof in June, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in September, and The Game’s Afoot in November. Flexible season tickets and memberships offer a significant price discount—contact the CHT office to purchase yours!
Dinner with Friends runs from January 15—31, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and on Sundays at 2 pm. CHT offers special 2 for the price of 1 tickets on opening night, Friday, January 15 for those who reserve by phone.
Call the CHT office at 410-556-6003 or visit the website www.churchhilltheatre.org for details and reservations.
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