TUTA's staging of Thornton Wilder's classic one-act play 'The Long Christmas Dinner' is a poignant exploration of life, family, and mortality. Set at the same dinner table over 90 years, this condensed theatricalization whizzes through multiple generations of the Bayard family, witnessing births, deaths, and shifting dynamics.
The production, directed by Jacqueline Stone and featuring an ensemble of seven actors, presents Wilder's original intention in a unique way. The play begins with three chandeliers – a central giant and two smaller pendants – symbolizing the portals that usher characters in and out of existence. Set designer Keith Parham crafts an environment that balances realism with expressionistic elegance.
Director Stone makes deliberate choices to integrate period music, blending it seamlessly into scenes. This adds depth to performances from an accomplished cast, though at times extending the pacing, resulting in a 75-minute version instead of its optimal 45-50 minutes. The actors' decision to take their time for reactions and digging for subtext contributes to this.
Wilder intended 'The Long Christmas Dinner' to strike a balance between simplicity and emotion, warning producers against dwelling excessively on death. However, the production falls into the trap of lingering over sadness rather than capturing the fleeting nature of life's moments.
Fortunately, standout Joan Merlo finds beauty in slowness and heartache as she portrays the elderly Mother Bayard and her cousin's poignant demise. Her performances convey an aching poignancy that underscores the play's themes.
Ultimately, TUTA's staging of 'The Long Christmas Dinner' is a mournful yet beautiful portrayal of life's complexities. While it occasionally succumbs to the temptation of over-indulgence in sadness, the production is marked by moments of exquisite emotion and powerful performances.
The production, directed by Jacqueline Stone and featuring an ensemble of seven actors, presents Wilder's original intention in a unique way. The play begins with three chandeliers – a central giant and two smaller pendants – symbolizing the portals that usher characters in and out of existence. Set designer Keith Parham crafts an environment that balances realism with expressionistic elegance.
Director Stone makes deliberate choices to integrate period music, blending it seamlessly into scenes. This adds depth to performances from an accomplished cast, though at times extending the pacing, resulting in a 75-minute version instead of its optimal 45-50 minutes. The actors' decision to take their time for reactions and digging for subtext contributes to this.
Wilder intended 'The Long Christmas Dinner' to strike a balance between simplicity and emotion, warning producers against dwelling excessively on death. However, the production falls into the trap of lingering over sadness rather than capturing the fleeting nature of life's moments.
Fortunately, standout Joan Merlo finds beauty in slowness and heartache as she portrays the elderly Mother Bayard and her cousin's poignant demise. Her performances convey an aching poignancy that underscores the play's themes.
Ultimately, TUTA's staging of 'The Long Christmas Dinner' is a mournful yet beautiful portrayal of life's complexities. While it occasionally succumbs to the temptation of over-indulgence in sadness, the production is marked by moments of exquisite emotion and powerful performances.
- it's so poignant and thought-provoking! I mean, who hasn't had those family gatherings where you're trying to navigate all the different relationships and emotions? 
The way the director balances realism with expressionism is genius. But, for me, the real star of the show is Joan Merlo - she absolutely nails it as Mother Bayard 
. Her presence on stage is just so powerful and emotive. I loved how the period music added depth to the performances, but at times felt like it slowed down the pacing a bit. Still, totally worth watching 
They did a great job with this play, I mean, 7 actors playing different generations is already impressive! 
The set designer's work was lovely too, it felt like you were right there at that dinner table 
. Joan Merlo really stood out as the elderly mom, her acting was so sad but also beautiful 
. The way it explores life, family, and mortality is like a masterclass in storytelling. I mean, who needs 45 minutes of a play when you can have 75 and still make it feel so impactful? 
. She brought so much depth to her character, making even the saddest moments feel beautiful in their own way. The set design and music were also on point 
. It's like they took all the emotions of Wilder's original play and distilled them into this incredible, heart-wrenching production. 
. The set design is super impressive, really transports you to another time period 
. But what got me was how it showed the whole Bayard family thing over 90 years... feels kinda rushed, ya know? Like, I get that it's a condensed version, but sometimes I felt like I needed a breather 
. Still, it's like Wilder said - life's too short to dwell on death too much 
. TUTA did an amazing job with this production tho 
.
. The music addition was cool though, added a nice layer of depth to the performances 
. Still, overall I'd say it's worth checking out if you're a fan of period dramas and Wilder's work 
.
they did a 90 year timeline thingy where they show all these generations of this fam having christmas dinner and it gets so emotional idk how they do it with only 75 mins though lol the set designer is lowkey genius tho w/ them chandeliers u feel? 
anyway joan merlo is just wow she plays mom bayard and it breaks me every time 
. But Joan Merlo's performance was absolutely heart-wrenching 
and yeah, Joan Merlo's performance was definitely a highlight - her portrayal of old Mrs. Bayard was soooo hauntingly beautiful 
still not sure if I'd call it 'poignant' tho... feels like they're hitting us over the head with sadness instead of just letting it be 
. But 75 minutes is a bit too long for my taste - feel like it could've been trimmed down to like 45-50 minutes and still told the story justice 
. Maybe stick to the original 45-50 minutes and let the audience take it from there?
, and I can appreciate the effort that went into bringing it to life 
. I just wish they'd found a way to balance out the emotional weight with some more upbeat moments or something 
.