Event

Dinner With Friends by Donald Margulies

Continuing its series focused on families and family relationships, Glenview's Oil Lamp Theater will be presenting "Dinner With Friends," winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2000, as its next offering. This production opens September 25th and will run through November 9th.

Described by the playwright as a "rueful comedy," Dinner With Friends introduces us to Gabe (Chris Miller) and Karen (Megan Skord-Campbell), two middle-aged international food writers who are happily married and living in suburban Connecticut. They have been close friends for many years with Tom (Eric Bays) and Beth (Laura Coleman), another married couple. In fact, Tom and Beth first met each other at a dinner party hosted by Gabe and Karen.

As this story unfolds, Beth reveals that she and Tom are splitting up. She explains that her husband has been unfaithful -- and nothing, it seems, can ever be the same again. This revelation triggers an emotional rollercoaster ride as Karen and Gabe absorb the impact of their friends' breakup. They suddenly face unexpected questions about marriage and friendship that send shock waves through their own relationship. This re-examination, they discover, might be dangerous. After all, if the happiness they assumed their friends shared is not a "given," is theirs? Do they really even know their friends? Do they really know each other?

Dinner With Friends explores some of the subtle changes that can creep into relationships over time, and how a sudden shock can send things flying in many directions. Margulies examines not only the fragility of relationships, but also our need for them... and how we sometimes cling to them, to our families, and to each other, as if our lives depended on it.

Runs 2 hours including intermission.