THE ART OF DINING, 2026
Tina Howe paints an inexplicably bizarre world with her 1979 play, The Art of Dining. As restaurant owners Ellen and Cal struggle to find balance between hospitality and profit, their tables fill with hungry guests. Our production investigated the modern relationship between America and food, using haunting movement sequences to simulate the lack of control we have over what we consume. The show requires food to be prepared, served, and consumed on stage, resulting in over 200 props and endless trays of pink mash potatoes.
Chloe Lauren Cheung and Peter Sunseri
The Art of Dining
By Tina Howe
Presented by the Neighborhood Playhouse
Producers: Sandy Faison and Pam Moller-Kareman
Director: Cameron King
Assistant Director: Madison Tucker
Management by Abby Nelson with Bentley Payne
Scenic Designer: Jason Bolen
Lighting Designers: David Fitzpatrick and Isaac Castillo
Costume Designer: Debbie Halperin
Props: Dana Tankenbaum, Olivia Armstrong, Carmen Lamar Gonzales
Marketing: Luisa Tascone
Photos: Matt Simpkins
Elizabeth: Amalya Meira
Ellen: Denise Berghammer
Cal: Evan Rothfeld
Hannah: Chloe Lauren Cheung
Paul: Peter Sunseri
David: Alec Tracey
Herrick: Manon Scart
Nessa: Sydney MacDonald
Tony: Emilia Ibarra
From the Rehearsal Room