By Racheli Jian, Senior Arts and Culture Editor and Layout Editor
The Stern College Dramatics Society’s (SCDS) production of The Man Who Came to Dinner is only one night away. The play, which originally debuted in 1939, is a comedy that takes place in small-town Ohio. Mrs. Stanley (Hayley Goldberg, SCW ‘26), a kind, ordinary housewife, is the first character that speaks as the setting of the play, an average American household, is revealed to the audience.
Despite its typical opening, however, the play continues to be anything but ordinary.
The play begins with a glimpse of the Stanley residence after Mr. Whiteside (Aliza Billet, SCW ‘26), a guest in their home who also happens to be a radio personality, falls on their front steps, fracturing his hip. While the play takes place in the home of Daisy and Ernest Stanley (Shalva Englander, SCW ‘25), its plot revolves around the host of characters that all come to visit Mr. Whiteside during the holidays. Ranging from entertainers to convicts, Whiteside’s prolonged stay, due to his injury, results in the gathering of the strangest personalities right in the Stanley living room.
One of the most impressive aspects of the script is its ability to employ a range of comedic styles. It contains antics that are so ridiculous, you laugh just thinking about them. The numerous miscommunications and strange characters that visit the Stanley home showcase the farcical humor (a type of comedy that capitalized on horseplay and absurdities) of the show. Additionally, the constant flow of people that run about the house dealing with the ever-growing issues that arise creates a sense of chaos throughout the play
As the second act ends there are about eight actors onstage, yet, the disorder is apparent. Whiteside and a radio man (Liela Silbiger, SCW ‘27) are busy preparing for a broadcast while the Stanleys are badgering Whiteside about his occupation of their home. At the same time, Lorraine Sheldon (Ilana Pollak, SCW ‘26), a celebrity guest of Whiteside, uses Burt Jefferson (Rebecca Kalmar, SCW ‘25), a local newspaper man, to derail another character’s life. The many different plots that occur onstage cut into each other with the quick lines and unfinished sentences of each character. The act concludes with a nurse (Dori Berman, SCW ‘26), who has already been traumatized by Whiteside’s crude behavior, screaming that she was injured by a penguin, adding to the craziness and chaos of the plot.
In contrast to these absurd comedic licenses, the play also uses more subtle and sarcastic humor. For example, both Mr. Whiteside and his secretary, Maggie Cutler (Tamara Yeshurun, SCW ‘26) constantly deliver lines that will make you giggle with their sharp humor.
Throughout the script, different celebrity characters come to visit Mr. Whiteside, and in the safety of the Stanley home, a side of these famous personas unknown to the public is revealed. While each celebrity is worshipped as an accomplished actor or comedian, within the play, it is evident that they are not actually the well meaning people they may appear to be. Although not explicit in the lines, through subtle cues, it becomes increasingly clear that a major theme of the show revolves around the fact that while so many people might idolize celebrities, in real life, they are actually much further from the characters they play on screen.
This dissonance between how a person is perceived and their authentic personality is highlighted by Mr. Whiteside’s character as well. While he is known as a radio host who everyone adores, his cruel and selfish nature reveals itself as he is trapped in the Stanley home. Billet does an excellent job of portraying such an unnerving character, and with a particular accent and usage of physical comedy, she completely transforms into the eccentric personality.
The talent in Billet’s portrayal is not limited to her performance. Every actor in this play performs so convincingly that I found myself referencing actors as their character’s name rather than themselves. Another actor who also had to “transform” into her role is Ilana Pollak (SCW ‘26), who plays Lorraine Sheldon, a glamorous Hollywood star who is willing to do anything to get her way. “Once I’m on the stage and under the lights, I do step into [the character],” she told the YU Observer.
The talent seen in the cast isn’t just in their ability to transform into one character, but into multiple. This show has about 30 roles to fill with only 14 actors. Most of the actors, therefore, play multiple roles and have numerous costume changes. While Rena Torczyner’s (SCW ‘25) main role is the butler, John, she also slips into two other roles. With quick costume changes and theater magic, she never missed her cue. “It helps that the characters are meant to be disheveled,” she told the YU Observer, “I can just burst out.” The ability to switch between characters in such a short amount of time is reflective of how talented and dedicated the SCDS cast truly is.
A vital piece that goes into making sure the costume changes go well is the backstage department. The makeup and costume teams both do a great job of ensuring that every actor can smoothly transition into their next role. Similarly, the light and sound crew also creates magic backstage. This play depends a lot on sound effects to keep the flow of the plot, and the backstage crew does a fantastic job of making sure everything works. From doorbells to duck noises, each sound moves the story forward, making the crowd laugh.
Another backstage group that is also imperative to this show is the prop team. The narrative introduces absurd and outrageous props, such as cockroaches and the famous sarcophagus, but every time an item enters the stage, it looks real and as if it belongs there.
With the robust cast and dedicated backstage team, it is no wonder that this play is the beautifully performed comedy that it is. Every person in the cast and crew comes together to fully immerse the audience in all the antics and shenanigans of the script. The whole SCDS team doesn’t only collaborate onstage. “I joined the play and instantly found a community of friends,” Eliana Diamond (SCW ‘25), Co-President of SCDS, told the YU Observer. “Since then, I have been so fortunate to be a part of super talented, funny, quirky, supportive, and amazing women of all ages and backgrounds.”
In order for the play to run as smoothly as it does, the cast must play off of all of the quirky personas while onstage. However, even as the lights dim, the show comes to a close and the actors exit the theater, their willingness to collaborate with one another remains apparent. Even though a wide range of personalities pass through the Stanley home throughout the show, by the end of the play, the characters who were at-odds with each other find a compromise. Similarly, SCDS’s ability to have so many different types of people working together in harmony is what makes this show a must-see.
Written by Moses Hart and George S. Kaufman, directed by Leah Gottfried and performed by the Stern College Dramatics Society, “The Man Who Came to Dinner” will be performed on December 8, 10 and 11. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Photo Caption: The cast of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” during their final rehearsal
Photo Credit: Racheli Jian