Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at Flat Rock Playhouse
While many area theaters strive to produce shows that speak to modern dialogues around race relations and inclusion, Flat Rock Playhouse straight up delivers by turning to none other than the 55-year-old material of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Todd Kreidler’s captivating stage adaptation of William Rose’s Oscar-winning screenplay unfortunately remains potent today, even without updating the material for modern times. But its exploration of mixed-race relationships and the ripple effects they have on those who love and care about the people involved nevertheless possesses the power for positive change, even amongst those who assume they’re steadfast allies.
On the intricately designed San Francisco set by Dennis C. Maulden — one of his best in at least the past five years, complete with a lifelike digital projection of the Golden Gate Bridge — the story of the white and staunchly liberal Drayton family unfolds over a fateful 12 hours in spring 1967. A simple day of golf for newspaper publisher Matt (Peter Thomasson) and a would-be big modern art sale for his wife Christina (Marcy McGuigan) are interrupted when their daughter Joanna (Emily Fink) makes a surprise early return from her hospital residency in Hawaii with Dr. John Prentice (Jade Arnold), who is Black, in tow.
The purpose for their visit is as obvious as the megawatt smile on Joanna’s face, but the panic that it causes when the young couple seeks parental approval of their engagement before John flies to New York and then Geneva that night tests the tight-knit family’s bonds.
As the elder Draytons work through arguably the most difficult “yes or no” decision of their lives, realistic permutations of conversations between characters emerge as they attempt to come to terms with the news. The group, duo, and trio exchanges encourage top-rate performances from the core quartet under the direction of Reggie Law, and receive comic relief support from Tillie (Robin McGee), the Draytons’ Black housekeeper, and Monsignor Ryan (John Little), the lone voice of reason among the older adults whose support of the lovebirds gradually proves infectious.
The addition of a few more surprise guests — the true reference of the play’s title — and the applause-worthy purging of Christina’s gallery colleague Hillary (a gloriously caustic Janie Bushway) further spice up the already dramatically rich interactions. Yet despite the number of lives whose futures hinge on the evening’s outcome, these are humans capable of making light of their own flaws, and their self-awareness and sense of humor make them thoroughly relatable people.
The result is a triumph for the venerable theater and all involved, down to the period-accurate clothing by Ashli Arnold Crump, diverse props from Rebecca Xhajanka, and the one-two punch of Ben Hamann’s lighting design and Kurt Davis’ sound design, which combine to terrific effect whenever characters step out on the house’s terrace.
Great as the technical details are, the humanity on display within them wins the day — particularly Thomasson’s climactic monologue, which, as the kids say, deserves all the flowers. Whether theatergoers know the Stanley Kramer film line-for-line or have yet to give it a view, this take on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner is one to cherish and is destined to stick with all who experience it.
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner runs through Sept. 4. For details and tickets, visit FlatRockPlayhouse.org.
(Photos by Scott Treadway/Treadshots, courtesy of Flat Rock Playhouse)
