The Troy Civic Theatre presents A Nice Family Gathering December 11 and 12

Last Friday evening, Tom and I went to see A Nice Family Gathering.  Phil Olson is the playwright.  Both of us enjoyed it. Everyone in the  audience had good laughs and thoughtful moments as well.  Me, being who I am, shed a tear or two.

I hope that you take time  from your holiday preparations to come to the play this coming Friday or Saturday evening.  You will be glad you did.

The Lundeen family is a typical loving family with family jokes and perceived long standing slights which are part of all families.  The thing that makes them a bit different from some families is that they are of stoic Norweigan descent and the word, love, is not part of their spoken vocabulary.  The cast, directed by Terressa Knoch, created a believable loving family beset by problems as all families are.

The Lundeens are having Thanksgiving dinner at the family home a few months after the death of  Dad because Mom decided she would like to have "A Nice Family Gathering".  Nobody knows that Carl, the second son, is being haunted by Dad who has a last message for Mom.  The plot thickens when Mom invites a single friend of Dad's, Jerry Myers, for dinner, too.What is the meaning of this invitation?

Robert Hyer plays Carl Lundeen, the son haunted by Dad's spirit.

Don Kuchta plays Dad (Carl Lundeen) who causes Carl, his son, much frustration.

Karen Lohr is Mom (Helen Lundeen) who loves her family, even if she is absent-minded.

Josh Lurie is Michael, the oldest son, who has multiple problems in his life.

Tina Hayes plays Jill Lundeen, Michael's wife, who has problems, also.

Sydney Edington portrays the youngest child, Stacy Lundeen.  Stacy goes about living her life in her own way as members of  her family go about their more conventional lives.

Jerry Myers, the friend Mom invited for dinner, is played by Steve Dietrich.

The cast meshed well, creating a believable family.  There was a genuine feeling of love and caring as the play proceeded.

Sydney Edington and Robert Hyer participated in The Troy Recreational Department's Children's Musical Theater productions for many years.  It is great to see children's musical theater performers graduating to Troy Community Theatre productions.

As always, my thanks to the production crew and all those who helped to make this play possible.

Here is a photo of the cast and the crew who were present on Friday evening.