July 11, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Drama And Wit Inside ‘The Dining Room’ At The Promenade Playhouse:

“The Dining Room,” a play that earned writer A. R. Gurney a Pulitzer Prize nomination in the 1980s, is a collection of 18 vignettes that’s currently playing Friday and Saturday nights at Santa Monica’s Promenade Playhouse through March 3.

While unconnected in plot, the vignettes share a strong theme and strive to show the changing attitudes about the home and family over many decades. The earliest story takes place in 1932 to the latest in 2000.

Each decade is given its own attention and allowed to flavor the scene at hand, but the true joy of this play is the different relations and landmark moments in life that are touched upon.

The play opens with a businessman who is in the market for a house, but only for a short time. He and his family travel every six months or so for his job. For him, it is not the house that makes a home, but the people inside it. This wonderfully sets up the next piece, which features a bickering brother and sister who are home to divide up the family’s belongings. They care a great deal more about who gets the dining room table than each other’s feelings on the matter.

As the play progresses, it runs the gamut of emotions. While it is at one moment hysterically funny, the next, can be heart breaking.

In 1990, a carpenter woos a woman who, along with her dining room table, is in need of a little loving attention. This moment of comic relief is followed directly by a Thanksgiving tableau set in 1970. This scene pulls heavily on the heartstrings, as the matriarch of the family is unable to recognize her sons.

A stand out moment towards the tail end of the production came from the 1948 scene wherein a father, hilariously acted by Tom Malee, is informed of a grievous insult laid upon his brother at the local club. He informs his family that he is off to right the wrong and to defend his brother’s honor. His family gives him a send off fitting a man going into battle.

One of the final scenes is a quiet moment between a man and his son. The father must lay out his final wishes for his funeral and what is to be done after. His strong feelings on what is garish and what is proper give quick moments of levity and realism to an all too tragic conversation.

Lovingly directed by Natalia Lazarus, the play functions in two ways. First as a commentary on the way that family life has changed dramatically over the years. The style in which we live has become terribly casual. No longer do we dress for dinner in our own homes. The good china comes out once a year, if that. We don’t have maids who bring us our orange juice in the morning at the ringing of a bell. Most family time these days is spent eating take out around the television. However, this collection of moments taken from lives we all can relate to also reminds us that while fashion and social conventions shift with the generations, the moments that we remember the clearest, for good or for bad, happen in the most ordinary of places. They happen in our homes with the people that we care for the most, our families.

The Promenade Playhouse

1404 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica

Run: Friday–Saturday through March 3 at 8 p.m.

Tickets: 310.656.6070

www.promenadeplayhouse.com

in News
<>Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Pier Arson Incidents

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The suspect, matching video footage from an arcade, was taken into custody Santa Monica Police Department officers arrested a suspect...

SMPD Launch New Recruitment Website Amid High Vacancy Rates

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

The site features multimedia content, including day-in-the-life videos and officer profiles, highlighting the impact of serving the community The Santa...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Santa Monica Joins Regional Lawsuit to Halt Unconstitutional ICE Raids

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The motion to intervene seeks to ensure that Santa Monica and other plaintiff-intervenors can advocate for their residents’ rights in...

Promenade Restaurant Introduces Lunch Menu Set at $18 Per Person

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The fixed $18 price point targets commuters and those seeking a power lunch or a change of scenery The restaurant...

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

Saint Monica Prep Students Win Award for Anti-Street Racing PSA Video

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The winning public service announcement, titled “Not Worth It,” was highlighted in a post on X by @LADOTofficial  Students from...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...