No Dilemmas in Jewel Box Production of "Dilemmas with Dinner"

Robin Roberts is an accomplished playwright and can be found in Franklin, Indiana where he is Assistant Professor of Theatre at Franklin College.  The farce “Dilemmas with Dinner” is a great example of a comedic dream for the actors, and Don Taylor directs this dream with great timing.  Jewel Box Theatre is presenting “Dilemmas with Dinner” through March 24, 2013 and the cast of eight bring tears of mirth to audience eyes.

The action takes place in the home of Donny and Brooke Williams.  Donny owns a small book store and Brooke is working for a company that has an opening for a vice president.  Brooke has invited the boss and his wife over for dinner to butter them up a little bit so that she may be considered for the position she has earned.  For the dinner to be perfect her friend and assistant at work, Julia and Julia’s boyfriend round out the guest list.  Brooke has hired a caterer to cook and serve the dinner expecting Caren the caterer to be helpful.  Donny has been followed home by a recently fired employee who also tries to be helpful in hopes of having his job at the bookstore restored.

Brooke Williams is delightfully played by Christine Jolly.  Tad Thurston is wonderful as Donny Williams.  Tiffany Tuggle-Rogers as the harried caterer is very funny and Dalton Thomas as Max, Donny’s former assistant, is poignantly amusing.  Allyson Rose as friend Julia is amusing and Clint Kubat as her boyfriend Stephen is the observant calm one maintaining his cool amidst the chaos.

Much of the first act in a farce involves the set up and “Dilemmas with Dinner” really gets going in the second act when the boss and his wife arrive at the Williams home for dinner.  Will is portrayed by James Tyra with a bit of deadpan humor that is insanely funny and Jackie Smola as Louise very nearly steals the show.  Smola is hysterically funny and so natural that she is believable.  Furthermore, in the coming together that takes place in the second act when everything is falling apart all of the actors exhibit the perfect timing and reaction that makes “Dilemmas with Dinner” a perfect evening of comedy at the theatre.