John Jay’s 2024 fall drama, the Dining Room, was surely changing the game.
From November 14th to November 16th was the spectacular 90-minute production of numerous shows set up by our talented John Jay students. The overall gist of the play was to convey different stories revolving around one room, the dining room. I went on opening night, but as I’ve heard, the performance brought great appeal all 3 days.
On behalf of the audience, I believed the concept of this performance was excellent, and the actors were tremendous on stage, successfully capturing the emotions aligning with each story. Also, the quick duration of each skit and the fluctuation of stories was executed well, helping people with short attention spans to stay captivated. The cinematic layout stood out too, truly signifying the connection of one dining room for all the different characters.
While these students deserve immense credit for varying this play from previous showcases, I noticed that these stories struck interest to the adults more than the students that attended. More improvisation would have made these skits extra compelling.
But, from other viewpoints like Mr. Morales Thomason, the assistant director of this production, he believed that the production “was excellent” nonetheless, “there was slightly more enthusiasm on opening night compared to the other nights.” Mr. Morales Thomason held a great passion for The Dining Room that he wished “there would have been a more popular crowd.”
On the other hand, Kaylee Espinal, a participant in the costume crew, had recognized from her standpoint that “the people made the show worth it, but the play’s concept was a little confusing.”
Many views are crucial to comprehend the overall performance of the show, however, the actor’s view is pivotal to conclude the overall insight of The Dining Room. So, how did they think the show went?
When interviewing Lily Mostero, whether her experience was on stage or behind the scenes, she happily shared her love for the production as she admitted, “I loved spending time with my friends in the production with me!” Even though there was nothing specific she would change about this show, she mentioned that the production seemed disorderly in the beginning, causing her to doubt the success of the production, which luckily proved her wrong.
Why would there be contrasting views on the same show, and why do these opinions even matter?
Well, despite the fact that these respondents worked in different positions at this fall drama, I can assure you that everyone’s opinions of the Dining Room will be taken into account when preparing for future plays at our school.
