‘The Big Meal’ stages family life and strife
by Jackie Moe, Orange County Register
The delights and dysfunctions of family dynamics are displayed in the Southern California premiere of “The Big Meal,” opening this week at the Chance Theater of Anaheim.
Written by Orange County native Dan LeFranc, the contemporary play focuses on one family over a span of more than 60 years. Previews open Thursday and continue through April 28, with regular performances running April 30-May 22 on the Fyda-Mar Stage.
Set in various Midwest chain restaurants, the comedy-drama opens with Sam and Nicky, two young people who meet at a local diner. Over 60 years later, and the two are married with children and grandchildren, and life’s joys and hardships are discussed over various meals and decades.
Directed by Jocelyn Brown, who also directed the Chance Theater productions “Big Love” and “Evita” among others, said the play reminded her of her own life.
“My husband and I have been together since we were 15, so we are going on 25 years of marriage.” Brown said. “We have two kids now, and every so often, it will hit us that all these years have gone by, and we can’t help but think, ‘How did we get here?’
“This is a wonderful lifecycle play. It really struck me as one of those great stories that allows the audience to reflect on their own lives and relate to the characters’ situations.”
The play has four pairs of actors —two children, two twenty-somethings, two middle-aged, and two seniors – each playing rotating roles that switch up as the characters age over the decades.
The four generations of the family will be played by Chance resident artists Karen Webster (“After the Revolution”), Robert Foran (“After the Revolution”), Jennifer Ruckman (”Samsara”), and returning Chance artists David Carl Golbeck, Angela Griswold, Ben Green, Abby Lutes and Kelly Ehlert. Actor Dylan Barton will make his Chance debut with this production.
Brown, who has directed at the Chance Theater since 2001, said she loves the intimacy of the local theater. This play takes place on the small Fyda-Mar Stage, because she wanted the audience to feel like they are sitting in the restaurant with the actors, overhearing their conversations about everything from marriage to divorce to death.
“I really love the way the Chance approaches the art of theater. I go to a lot of the larger spaces too, but when you can’t see the actors’ faces, you are really missing the feelings and intimacy of the characters,” said Brown.
Since the play was written by Dana Point-raised LeFranc, Brown said there are various elements in the script that express his Orange County roots.
“Even though it’s set in the Midwest, there are different parts in the script, such as the language he uses and topics the family discusses, that reflect that he grew up in the O.C. I think,” said Brown, “That’s something that the audience will probably be able to hear for themselves as well.”
The play has many comedic parts, such as silly family banter, but there are also serious moments of arguments and drama.
“I hope there are certain questions that come into the audience’s minds after the show. Like, ‘What kind of legacy do we leave behind?’ Or, ‘How many moments do we have left in our lives to make an impact?’” Brown said. “Just based off of rehearsals so far, I think the audience will be surprised at how quickly they see themselves in these characters.”
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The Big Meal in rehearsal
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