Diners serve up symbols
by Ashley Clark, Entertainment editor

    Six actors will portray six or seven different characters each in the upcoming NW Campus play, The Dining Room.

     As one might guess, the entire show takes place in a dining room.
    Director T.J. Walsh, visiting drama instructor from TCU, believes that A. P. Gurney, the playwright, used the dining room as a dying place and centered the action there symbolically.

    Unlike a typical full-length play, The Dining Room is a series of sketches within different genres. Scenes range from drama to comedy to farce.

    The characters within the scenes also exhibit a dramatic age and personality range.

    All the characters are generally called “First Actress,” “Second Actor,” etc.

    However, each part is assigned a variety of situations and characters, who may range from children to senior citizens.

    Barbie Lowrance, First Actress, portrays several women and children.

    “I play a couple of kids, a teenager and an older lady,” she said.
Her favorite character is an alcoholic woman whose son catches her having an affair.

    Leah Carithers, Second Actress, looks forward most to portraying her character, Harriet, an older lady.

    “Without any makeup or hair that makes you look or feel old, it’s harder to become that character,” she said.

    “I’ve had to become old in gestures and actions instead of with gray hair and wrinkles. She is the most challenging, but I think she’s going to be the most fun to do,” she said.

    In order to transform into different characters, the actors will only add a few changes to their costumes. A hat, a scarf or jewelry will be added to distinguish one character from the other.

    Carithers says the simplicity of the production is one of the things she enjoys most about The Dining Room.

    One of the things Jenine Galante is excited about is doing a play that is not a musical.

    “I’ve done musicals all my life,” the actress said, “so I’m welcoming the chance to play more serious characters rather than the hyper cheerleader types.”

    According to Galante, The Dining Room is a play geared more toward college-age students on up.

    “This isn’t your basic teenage play,” she said; “it deals with heavier issues.”

    Jeremy Lowrance, Seth Martin and Carey Wolff will play several characters as well in this production.

    The Dining Room opens on NW Campus Thursday, April 26, and runs until Sunday, April 29.

    Showtimes are 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Call 817-515-7797 for reservations and ticket information.As one might guess, the entire show takes place in a dining room.