Acting out eight or nine characters in one play sounds like quite the feat, but this talented cast is making it look easy in The Naples Players (TNP)’s upcoming production of The Dining Room.

Described as one of AR Gurneys, “most eloquent plays” and “an overlapping and amusing anthology of vignettes about family and food, and inherited and disowned values” by The New York Times, The Dining Room is showing from October 4 – 22 at Naples United Church of Christ in McSpadden Hall.

The play is set in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household, the place where the family assembled daily for breakfast and dinner and for any and all special occasions. The action consists of a mosaic of interrelated scenes—some funny, some touching, some rueful—which, taken together, create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class WASP.

The actors change roles, personalities, and ages with virtuoso skill as they portray a wide variety of characters, from little boys to stern grandfathers, and from giggling teenage girls to Irish housemaids. Each vignette introduces a new set of people and events; a father lectures his son on grammar and politics; a boy returns from boarding school to discover his mother’s infidelity; a senile grandmother doesn’t recognize her own sons at Christmas dinner; a daughter, her marriage in shambles, pleads futilely to return home, etc. Dovetailing swiftly and smoothly, the varied scenes coalesce, ultimately, into a theatrical experience of exceptional range, compassionate humor, and abundant humanity.

Director James Duggan is joined by the following team of industry professionals: assistant director, Terry Libby, scenic designer, Michael Santos, lighting designer, Jessica Winward, sound designer, Sean McGinley, costume designer Mollie Berman, properties coordinator, Esther Snyder, stage manager Patricia Puia, and assistant stage manager, Lorelai Vega. James will lead an all-star ensemble cast of Naples favorites, many of whom have become breakout stars in some of The Naples Players’ most recent productions. The cast includes (in alphabetical order): JODY CAMERON, JEN HART, RUTH JOHNSON, JENNIFER MANCE, ANDREW SARKOZY, and JOE TOWNSEND.

From October 4 – October 22, 2023, performances are Wednesdays & Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm. The Dining Room will be performed offsite at Naples United Church of Christ in McSpadden Hall while The Naples Players’ historic 5th Ave S building undergoes a $20 million renovation. General tickets are $49, and season ticket holders are offered a price of $39. Those interested can visit NaplesPlayers.org anytime or call the TNP Box Office at (239)263-7990.