2008 Woodie Awards
Play brings real issues to life
“Dinner with Friends” personifies culmination of social relationships
Marques Hunter
Issue date: 10/1/03 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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A witty dialogue combined with relative issues in social relationships allow this plot to develop, leaving you with a petrifying reality check about marriage, divorce and the ultimate social construct, friendship.
The play, written by Donald Marguiles and directed by Beth Peterson, reflects the life of two married couples that are best friends. Gabe, played by Sean Mitchell, and Karen, Brynne Garman, have the perfect and unimaginably flawless marriage. Tom, Jim Winkler, and Beth, Nyree Martinez, are a couple that shouldn’t have gotten married.
Ironically, the opening scene begins with dinner with friends. Gabe and Karen (the perfect couple) along with Beth are having dinner, while a conversation involving Gabe and Karen’s exquisite trip to Europe stirs up the drama as a time bomb waits to explode.
The voice of little children in the background plays a minor but significant role in the play as the three adults in scene one prepare themselves for a dramatic change.
“I think it’s a play about what its like to be an adult,” said the group as all four of them nestled on a king-sized bed after the play. “These characters are characters everyone can relate to.”
Relating to the characters in the audience made one plot stand out, relationships are not as they seem, even with the perfect couple.
Act One concludes with a broken marriage and sorrow for Beth due to Tom’s unfaithful habits.
“The breakup is the catalyst for everything else that develops,” the group said after a comment made about the play signaling more negative than positive in a relationship.
“I hope what we’re showing is that there are good parts and bad parts, and relationships last. I hope were generating a more neutral take than saying its all about the badness.”