Table Settings: Pass the Love Please at Burlington County Footlighters!

by Stephen Kreal

On Friday, April 4th, I had the pleasure of seeing the opening night performance of Table Settings at Burlington County Footlighters second stage. The production was directed by Alice Weber. Originally published in 1979, Table Settings has been a long-running, perennial hit off-Broadway. Table Settings premiered at Playwrights Horizons in New York City in January 1980, under the direction of award-winning playwright/director James Lapine. It was later made into an HBO movie with Robert Klein, Stockard Channing, and Dinah Manoff (among others).

BCF Second Stage is an intimate experience, where the audience sits in close proximity to the actors/set. I have seen many plays here, and always feel immersed in the play. The unit set was a dining room in a home, and in some scenes a restaurant. The set (and lighting design) were done by Perry Award-winning Jim Frazier. Sound design was done by producer John Weber.

The play is a series of scenes about a three-generation Jewish family. The characters are archetypes of people who you may know. To emphasize the point, the characters are not given names, but are referred to in the program as “grandmother”, “older son”, “girlfriend”, etc. The appeal of this play is that the characters are very relatable. 

It opens with “Mother” (actress Kathy Harmer) entering the stage, introducing herself and setting the tone of the play. Harmer’s voice and accent perfectly captured a Ukrainian-born Jewish mother. She easily reminded me of my Ukrainian-American grandmother (who was not born in The Ukraine, but constantly referenced her heritage). Ms. Harmer perfectly captured the nuances of her character. Her scenes with her daughter-in-law were particularly impressive. It was clear that a lot of character work/preparation went into this role.

We are incrementally introduced to the family: “Wife”, who is mother’s quirky, headstrong daughter-in-law (played by Jamie Lynn Hill), her lawyer husband “Older Son” Aaron Reed (who, according to his bio in the program, is appearing in his first non-musical stage play). The interplay between these two should resonate with anyone who has been in a marriage (or long-term relationship). Between his excessive alcohol consumption, differences on how to relate to their children, and a particularly funny attempt to re-ignite the stagnant flames of passion, this stage couple expertly captured the fine details of the ups and downs of marriage. 

They have two children: “Grandson” (played by a very talented eleven-year Robert Hill). Their other child is “Granddaughter”, played by Abby Fried. Miss Fried was outstanding at portraying a “typical” American teenager, angst and all. Costuming also helped set the tone for her character. There was an especially impactful scene where she asserts herself to her parents. Robert Hill was a real “scene stealer”, his scenes were performed with poise and confidence which was quite impressive for such a young actor. 

“Mother” has a younger son, “Younger Son”, played by Evan Long and his Social Worker girlfriend “Girlfriend”, played by the versatile and talented Amber Stolarski. The “Younger Son” character (played by Evan Long) is very relatable to any parent with a “twenty-something” adult child trying to figure things out. I have personally known several “twentysomethings” in just such a circumstance, and Long’s portrayal was spot-on. He is sarcastic, he exudes an unmerited confidence that comes across as slightly awkward and very funny. He is irreverent and impudent. Stolarski played his girlfriend, a character who is level-headed and rational. The character of “Girlfriend” is a counterbalance to the instability of “Younger Brother”, leaving the audience to wonder why she is even dating him. I have seen Ms. Stolarski in multiple productions and, once again, delivered an amazing performance!

All of the vignettes are introduced by a never-seen narrator, played by Larry Morgan. Mr. Morgan’s voice-over introduces the next vignette with a few words about the subject matter of the scene. He has a smooth, rich tone to his voice which was reminiscent of a DJ on a smooth jazz station.

The realism of the characters and situations are what make this play so delightful. My one minor critique (I acknowledge this is a bit “nit-picky”) is the manner in which the characters held/smoked/lit their prop cigarettes. It appeared awkward and unnatural and was impossible to not notice. Something that can easily be adjusted! In no way did that diminish from the overall experience of a well-directed, well-acted, technically sound production. This play holds a mirror up to most American families. I feel that most people will be able to relate to some or all of the characters. 

Table Settings is a tapestry of fast-paced vignettes that give the audience an intimate look into the lives of an ordinary family. It is not a narrative, but rather a portrait. At times funny, at times poignant, the characters in Table Settings represent the people we may well have in our own families. The vignettes are scenes from the life of a typical middle‐class family. I think that is why this play has remained consistently popular Off-Broadway for many years. The performances from this talented cast are powerful and varied. This play has an exquisite range of emotions. Director Alice Weber does a tremendous job at developing her characters with impressive attention to details. I highly recommend seeing this thoughtful and witty play. Show runs till April 12. Tickets can be purchased here: https://tickets.bcfootlighters.com/show/tablesettings