The dinner party has long been a venue where old friends can catch up or new friends make acquaintance. Polite conversation about interesting topics can go a long way toward cementing the human bond. Depending upon who is at the table, sharing a meal can also be an intensely personal and meaningful experience, the age-old method of commiserating with those whom we hold most dear in life.
And a meal shared is at the center of the action in “Dinner,” Moira Buffini’s dark British comedy currently making its American premiere at the Bay Street Theatre. But in this play, the phrase “breaking bread” takes on a whole new meaning.
The production is directed by David Esbjornson and stars Mercedes Ruehl as Paige, the upper class hostess of the party in question. Those expecting an evening of theater about the niceties of polite society might blanch when they realize that “Dinner’s” offerings include sharp tongued observations, unedited criticisms, wicked humor and metaphorically laden twists on the staid theme of the upper class dinner party.
The play opens with Paige putting the finishing touches on an elegant dinner party in the moments before her guests arrive while husband Lars (Daniel Gerroll) warns her to keep her behavior in check during the evening. Everything must be perfect for Paige — though the definition of perfection for this particular hostess is a bit skewed. Paige fusses with the table décor and gives final instructions – along with a considerable wad of cash and a sultry kiss – to a sullen and silent waiter (Eric Walton) who has been hired for the evening. This bit of business makes it very clear that this will be no ordinary evening.
When the guests begin to arrive, things get rolling in short order. The first through the door is Wynne (J. Smith-Cameron), Lars’ college lover who has just broken up with her boyfriend, a powerful member of parliament. When Wynne shows up alone, Paige flies into an unsympathetic rage. The evening has yet to begin and her plans are already going down in ruin. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that Lars and Wynne’s relationship, though decades old, is in imminent danger of reigniting.
Also in the guest line up for the evening is Hal (Reed Birney), a scientist and old friend who brings along his young new sex kitten wife and bimbo “newsreader” Siân (Laura Campbell). Hal’s first wife, we soon learn, was a close friend of Paige and a woman who has made several suicide attempts — including one on the day of Hal and Siân’s wedding.
The purpose of the dinner party is ostensibly to celebrate the recent publication of a book on “psychological apocalypse” by Lars. It’s a philosophical treatise on selfishness that encourages the pursuit of happiness at any cost — and one that the assembled guests, coincidentally enough, all seem to espouse with vigor. All except Paige, that is, who has brought these people together with a purpose — to confront the truth of their own actions and reveal the devastation that self motivation has wrought upon others.
When an unexpected visitor appears at the door in the form of Mike (Brian Hutchinson) a truck driver who has had an accident on the road, he is invited to stay and takes the empty seat meant for Wynne’s ex. In Mike, Paige has an ally — a working class hero who cuts through the clutter of privilege and, like Paige, isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, unless it has to do directly with him.
Like Lars’ written philosophy, the odd menu for the evening forces Paige’s guests to consider the origins and purpose of life — from the first course, a self-perpetuating primordial soup to a main course of “Apocalypse of Lobster” that involves a choice of life and death and just desserts consisting of “frozen waste” to a party game that cuts to quick. Generous drinks, of course, are offered throughout by the silently obedient waiter and the undercurrent of bitter disillusionment and dashed dreams is never far below the surface. It’s clear Paige will crack at some point — but just how that will play out is anyone’s guess.
The acting and direction in this production is first rate. Esbjornson has done fine work with this script. Ruehl is extremely well cast and her Paige, a pleasure to watch. The dialogue, too, is fresh, cutting and contemporary. It holds interest and entices. It also treads the line of humor and dark foreshadowing in a way that builds tension nicely. The range of the other actors in the play is equally impressive – particularly Campbell as Siân, who shows that, when pressed, she’s capable of holding her own in the fiercest of battles.
Troy Hourie’s set is perfect for the cause. A platform that rotates the dinner table throughout the evening suggests the passing of time, courses and alcohol. A particularly nice is a backdrop that reflects more a primeval forest than then the interior wall of a country manor in England. It’s a surreal touch that is an apt reflection on the entire evening itself.
If there’s a flaw in “Dinner” it comes in the form of the script’s final payoff. After a satisfying set of delicious offerings, we’re given a somewhat forced denouement that doesn’t do justice to the build up perpetuated by the biting wit and sarcasm of Paige and the shocked silences of the assembled guests. It’s a small price to pay in the end though. Even if the final course fails to satisfy, this “Dinner” has real teeth to it — it’s a thought provoking take on the notion of truth and how its abandonment wreaks havoc on those around us.
“Dinner” runs July 7 to August 2 at the Bay Street Theatre, Long Wharf, Sag Harbor. Shows are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7 p.m., with Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 4 p.m. Tickets are $55/$65. Call 725-9500 to reserve.
Above: (l to r) Reed Birney (seated facing away from camera), Mercedes Ruehl, Brian Hutchison (standing), J. Smith-Cameron, Eric Walton (standing), Daniel Gerroll and Laura Campbell. Gary Mamay photo.
