The Dining Room is comprised of 18 vignettes and over 50 characters played by only a handful of actors. Do you find that breaking it down into sections makes it easier or harder to direct than the entire show?
Definitely easier. I like that we are able to really focus on these first 7 vignettes and how they relate to each other. It would be fun to direct the entire show, but with this amount of time, doing one-third of the show is perfect.
Are you approaching your section of The Dining Room as mutually exclusive from the other two pieces?
The script is written as an overlapping of different vignettes that take place in the dining room. Our section has a total of 7 scenes and each scene has its own story to tell. I am focusing on just my ‘slice’ of the show exclusively, without really taking the other two sections into consideration, other than the transitional moment when we hand off the show to the next section.
Do you find anything to be particularly challenging about your “slice” of The Dining Room?
My initial challenge has been placing each scene in the appropriate time-period. There are some scenarios that range from the depression era, to the women’s lib movement, and others that could be happening today. The juxtaposition of these situations is what makes the show that much more interesting. The challenge is to make these eras clear, without making it a show that’s all about props. We’re relying on language, movement and mannerisms to translate a lot about where we are in time.
At its core, The Dining Room is about: how something as simple as a room can mean some many different things to people in regards to memories, traditions, and the changing culture.
Tell us a story from your life that happened at a dining room table.
Some of my fondest memories in the dining room are at my grandparent’s house. They lived on a lovely farm in New Hampshire where we’d go every Christmas. I am the oldest of 4 cousins, and we always sat at ‘the kids table’. Due to space, I sat at the kids table until I was well out of high school… and when I finally did get the chance to sit with the rest of my family at the dining room table, as much as I enjoyed being included as a grownup, I found myself longing for my seat at the kids table.
Definitely easier. I like that we are able to really focus on these first 7 vignettes and how they relate to each other. It would be fun to direct the entire show, but with this amount of time, doing one-third of the show is perfect.
Are you approaching your section of The Dining Room as mutually exclusive from the other two pieces?
The script is written as an overlapping of different vignettes that take place in the dining room. Our section has a total of 7 scenes and each scene has its own story to tell. I am focusing on just my ‘slice’ of the show exclusively, without really taking the other two sections into consideration, other than the transitional moment when we hand off the show to the next section.
Do you find anything to be particularly challenging about your “slice” of The Dining Room?
My initial challenge has been placing each scene in the appropriate time-period. There are some scenarios that range from the depression era, to the women’s lib movement, and others that could be happening today. The juxtaposition of these situations is what makes the show that much more interesting. The challenge is to make these eras clear, without making it a show that’s all about props. We’re relying on language, movement and mannerisms to translate a lot about where we are in time.
At its core, The Dining Room is about: how something as simple as a room can mean some many different things to people in regards to memories, traditions, and the changing culture.
Tell us a story from your life that happened at a dining room table.
Some of my fondest memories in the dining room are at my grandparent’s house. They lived on a lovely farm in New Hampshire where we’d go every Christmas. I am the oldest of 4 cousins, and we always sat at ‘the kids table’. Due to space, I sat at the kids table until I was well out of high school… and when I finally did get the chance to sit with the rest of my family at the dining room table, as much as I enjoyed being included as a grownup, I found myself longing for my seat at the kids table.
