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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

American Family Life Looked At Around Dining Room Table

The dining room table is the central prop in the Valley Repertory Theatre’s production of “Table Settings,” which opens tonight and runs through March 2.

This 1980 play by James Lapine uses the dining room table for multiple functions. Sometimes, it’s in a restaurant; other times, it’s in a home, presided over by what is referred to as “the Jewish mother to end all Jewish mothers.”

The theme is the American family; the tone is hysterical.

Lapine is probably best known today for his collaborations with Stephen Sondheim. He directed and wrote the book for Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” and “Into the Woods.”

He had won considerable acclaim for his writing even before that. “Table Settings” was his first triumph and then he went on to more raves as a director with “March of the Falsettos.”

Valley Rep’s version of “Table Settings” is directed by Brad Picard.

The show runs tonight, Saturday, Sunday, Feb. 22,-25, Feb. 29 and March 1 and 2. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., Thursday shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $8, $7 for seniors and $6 for students. Call 927-6878 for reservations.

Valley Rep is a community theater located at the southwest corner of Sprague and Pines in the Valley.

‘Crimes of the Heart’

The Cutter Players in Metaline Falls present Beth Henley’s acclaimed tale of a trouble family, “Crimes of the Heart,” the next two weekends at the Cutter Theatre.

Many are familiar with this Pulitzer Prize-winning play from its successful screen version. It’s about the three McGrath sisters in Hazelhurst, Miss., who gather for the impending death of their grandfather. One sister is worried about her marital prospects, one is a failed singer and one is out on bail after shooting her husband in the stomach. The Cutter Players version features Becky Martin, Kim DiRienz and Nikki Coleman as the three sisters.

The show runs tonight, Saturday, and on Feb. 23 and 24. All curtain times are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $6, are available by calling (509) 446-4108.

‘Of Love, Laughter and Longing’

Tellers Two, the local storytelling duo of Kyrsten Lee and Eric Hurtt, will debut their third show, “Of Love, Laughter and Longing,” on Saturday at Whitworth College.

It consists of stories from around the world, “a mixture of poignancy and merrymaking,” they say.

The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Cowles Memorial Auditorium at Whitworth College. Admission is $2 at the door, with proceeds to benefit the Whitworth Theater Department.

, DataTimes