The place where families spent quality time several decades ago was the dining room. The High Tech High School players will tackle issues of family values, politics and the American dream in the powerful play b A.R. Gurney The Dining Room.
At a rehearsal last week in the school’s Black Box theater, Jeffery Vicente, Marissa Gonzalez, Charles Boros, Ellen Hada, Lazaro Marquez and Natalia Cruz performed a few demanding scenes. The play is thought-provoking and intense. Each actor portrays at least seven different characters in a play that revisits many eras of American History beginning with the ’20s. The dining room is the stage’s centerpiece and becomes the play’s supporting character.
The relationship the characters have with the dining room is intriguing and sometimes cathartic.
"We didn’t want to shy away from a controversial play. I wanted to discuss what is going on today. Families don’t use the dining room anymore, and it’s part of our culture," said the play’s director and drama teacher, Deborah Arters. "The cast has rehearsed vigorously, and audiences will be pleasantly surprised."
Gonzalez, a senior, plays nine characters, including an overbearing wife who dismisses the importance of the dining room in her house.
"It was a lot of work developing the characters," she said. "We had to learn about the time periods to understand what was really going on."
The show utilizes heavy lighting and set design. Student stage manager Gina O’Melia and her crew worked hard to overcome the stage’s small space and problematic acoustics.
"We started this project in the fall," O’Melia said. "We are happy with the results."
The Dining Room will be held March 20-22 at 7 p.m. at High Tech High School at 2000 85th St. in North Bergen. Tickets are $10. For information call (201) 295-4084. q