AISLE SAY San Francisco

THE BIG MEAL

by Dan LeFranc
Presented by San Jose Repertory Theatre
Directed by Kirsten Brandt
San Jose Repertory Theatre
101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA / (408) 367-7255

Reviewed by Judy Richter

In an intricately constructed 90 minutes spanning five generations and several decades, San Jose Repertory Theater is staging "The Big Meal" by Dan LeFranc.

All of the action takes place in a restaurant -- not necessarily the same one over the years -- where the story begins with the meeting of Sam, a customer, and Nicole. After some ups and downs, they marry, have kids, grandkids and even a great grandchild. Along the way there are marriages, deaths, spats, humor and an underlying sense of caring.

The action is propelled by four pairs of actors: two children, two young adults, two middle-aged adults and two senior citizens. Youngsters Sophia Grace Cuthbert and Nicolas Garcia play all of the children's roles. The adults portray Sam and Nicole at various stages in their lives.

When first seen, Sam and Nicole are played by Aaron Wilton and Jessica Lynn Carroll. As their characters mature, they're replaced by Carrie Paff and Mark Anderson Phillips. Finally, Catherine MacNeal and Richard Farrell, who are first seen as Sam's parents, become Sam and Nicole. Along the way, the actors portray other characters. For example, Wilton and Carroll, the young adults, become Sam and Nicole's young adult children, Robbie and Maddie.

As the play continues, it's sometimes difficult to keep up with everyone. A family tree in the program would help.

Director Kirsten Brandt moves the action briskly. For example, an actor might exit as one character and immediately return as another. Before a character dies, he or she eats one last meal (brought by an uncredited stage hand), then quietly exits.

In one of the final scenes, Sam and Nicole (MacNeal and Farrell), are elderly. Because Sam has dementia, probably Alzheimer's, Nicki lovingly feeds him before he exits. It's a moving moment.

Nina Ball's set features diner-style tables downstage with several booths upstage, backed by a set of doors and several windows that enable to audience to see a character's final exit. The effective lighting is by Kurt Landisman, with unobtrusive sound by Jeff Mockus. Costumes by Shannon Sigman easily span the decades.

All of the actors in this ensemble work are excellent. The play itself reflects the changes in family dynamics that take place over time. No doubt some in the audience might recognize scenes from their own families.

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