MIDVALE — When considering the spectrum of sub-genres that fit under the title of “theatre,” a few labels might come to mind: musicals, plays, children’s theatre, and dinner theatre. That’s right. Dinner theatre by no means fits snuggly into other labels. It surely deserves its own. The goals and approaches to a dinner theater production—or at least the goals of Utah’s Salty Dinner Theatre—are far from those of a typical play.
Show closed February 16, 2013.
The company aims to create a night of escapism—a catchy story, lovable characters, and a healthy dose of humor and cheese—and they succeed on those accounts, but little else. I blame the script and the space for the majority of the problems. I saw the traveling show Bonnie and Clyde: A Love Story in a room filled to the brim with tables and chairs. (I would love to hear opinions from patrons who saw the show in other locations.) There was barely room for the patrons to walk around the room, let alone for actors to put on a show. I was amazed the actors never hit patrons as they ran back and forth across the room. It was disappointing that the space caused movement limitations, but the blocking overall seemed rather tedious even with the constraints. Too much time was spent on unmotivated rushing from one side of the room to the other, as if they were making it all up on the spot (which I’m sure to a certain degree they were) without the guidance of director Alisha Hall.
The production featured five actors, some of whom played multiple characters. I commend them all for their commitment to this campy rendition of Bonnie and Clyde, as each gave what seemed like every ounce of their energy and enthusiasm to making the show enjoyable. There were certainly a few humorous moments, and the energy certainly kept my attention. Clayton Barney as a loving but misguided Buck Barrow created the most believable character of the evening, whereas Madman as Frank Hammer and Sheri Gillies as Bonnie Parker often gave a little too much characterization for my taste. But again, dinner theatre is a unique genre and perhaps calls for a certain amount of overacting to be successful. The accents, though, were often forced and inconsistent. I did enjoy the moments when Buck and Blanche (played by Tonia Sayer) narrated the tale.
The script, written by Daniel Brassard presumably in development with the cast, was likewise ripe with weaknesses. It could only be labelled as a campy, fluffy story full of easy jokes. There lacked a solid plot or conflict; much of the substance, if you can call it that, was made of up jokes piled on top of overacting and the thinnest of plot lines tying the jumble together. The play was broken up by two intervals—one for dinner and one for dessert—which made the whole evening seem an act too long. The intervals were filled with songs sung (very well) by the actors (making me wish the evening had been a musical, instead) and competitions waged against audience members that oftentimes gave the feeling I had walked into a somewhat awkward office party. The ending seemed contrived and like something added simply because convention required it.
After much consideration and reflection, I decided this show wasn’t built for me: a twenty-something, academically-minded, theatre aficionado. I’m guessing, based on the audience at Joe Morley’s that night, the prime demographic is married couples over the age of 40. The show was overflowing with typical husband-and-wife jokes—from your basic “marriage is a trap” gags to asking men in the audience how they appease their stereotypically demanding wives to pulling couples out of the audience between acts to perform “couple challenges.” Granted, this show may have been more couple-centered because of the recent Valentine’s holiday.
I doubt I’ll ever return to see another Salty Dinner Theater show, but I was obviously the minority as conversations between acts and after the bows showed me. All of the patrons at my table loved the show, and many were season ticket holders who had seen many previous productions and planned on returning many more times. As I noted earlier, I was certainly not the demographic for this type of theatre, but for the casual theater-goer who loves a cheesy punchline, this might be the theater company for you.
The real Bonnie and Clyde (left) and Salty Dinner Theater’s actors.
About Paige Guthrie
Salty has a mission works in a different market segment than than a conventional theatre company. The company does shows in at least five venues, all with different seating arrangements and space limitations. That is part of the gig and what makes it enjoyable to me as an audience member. Thankfully, the ownership of Salty has an excellent grasp on what their market segment wants and they faithfully deliver that over and over.
Also, I’ve seen most of Salty’s cast members in and around the valley doing shows for various theatre companies and I’d have to say they know what their motivation is for moving around the space. One of my favorite directors in Utah told me when I asked her what my motivation was for moving downstage, “because the actor I get to replace you will do it the way I tell him to.”
As for the script, I’ve seen this show and honestly I loved it because it explores a level of dysfunctional love that can perhaps only be explored through a comedic vehicle or through the realism of Tennessee Williams & Edward Albee. In addition, there is a huge subtext of the inability for the characters adequately to moderate their instinctual drives, which is precisely what makes it impossible for Clyde to hold down an actual paying job, to say nothing of the other roles’ character defects.
Salty’s customer base spans the entire socio-economic spectrum and includes all professions or lack of professions, races, colors, creeds, sexual orientations, quirks, immigration status, political affiliations, educational levels, and any other cohort one can come up with, but the common denominator is people who like to go out for an evening of fun and enjoyment to watch those gifted with the theatre bug be willing to look foolish with the hope of exchanging that energy with the audience. And as an actor, that’s why I do theatre, when I do it.
Regards
–Tom J. Maggio
I definitely agree that Salty knows their audience, Tom, and I commend them for sticking to what works for them. I can’t argue that Salty doesn’t have a solid, loyal group of patrons who attend many of their productions, and as one who loves theater, it makes me happy that a local theater company has so much success. As for the audience, perhaps it was just the night I attended that it seemed to be full of one demographic.
I love your insight on the show, also. Thanks for commenting!
While struggling to understand what label dinner theater fits in and then judging it by the standards of other art forms, I think we missed a big opportunity here. This production of Bonnie and Clyde was rife with little know facts and subtle nuances about the famous duo. The actors were asked to learn large portions of history, memorize lines and blocking in an ever changing enviroment. This allowed them to show us a different side of the story than some might be used to. Bonnie was a larger than life personality, who’s charm and over-the-top nature is well documented. Sherri Gilles portrayal of the character may have hit closer to the truth than most people would notice. It would be a mistake to think of dinner theater as an easy or trivial art form. The facts are these, it is a serious challenge to incorporate a detailed and complicated story to an audience that joins you onstage and is permitted to take part in a way that requires impromptu dialogue from the actors. As I’ve learned in several attempts in this type of entertainment, it looks easy from the sidelines until you attempt to put a jersey on. In my opinion, the fact that comedy and dinner theater might look easy is a true testament to the skill of the actors brave enough to put on the show. I was proud of the cast, very impressed with the director Alisha Hall and floored by the response of the audiences. As his name might suggest, Madman does exactly what he does best, and I loved every minute of it. In an effort to serve and promote the Utah theater community, I felt compelled to offer this information. Dinner theater, as most local entertainment, is not meant to be enjoyed by only friends, family and several empty seats. The large audiences and sold out shows are a good sign that something wonderful is happening. Audiences that are diverse in age, background, profession, and education are lining up. From a critic’s perspective it might seem too simple, but that feeling might be deceptive. This is the true challenge and pleasure of this Dinner theater company. They want to make sure that the majority of guests leave entertained, with new memories and a desire to return. The audiences they attract have include first dates, 50th anniversaries, wedding proposals and new family traditions. It’s theater for people who don’t take themselves too seriously, but love to have fun and experience a sense of community and entertainment. I would echo what the reviewer noticed, folks who aren’t yet sold on this type of entertainment are the minority. Whether you have yet to see a show or are coming back, know that this company gives every ounce of their energy and enthusiasm to making the show enjoyable. It is their hope that you’ll find your time with them abundant with special moments. I would also personally extend the opportunity to this reviewer to come on back to experience a different show. The company uses talented actors, directors, and writers from our local community who just want to entertain you. I’ll even pick up the cost of your ticket if you don’t enjoy yourself (after all, the odds are somewhere over 90 to 1 that you’ll leave happy). – Daniel Brassard
Thank you for your thoughts, Daniel!
As one not extensively familiar with the history of Bonnie and Clyde, it’s great to hear some insight into the development of the show, and I completely agree that the actors were working their tails off to create a memorable, entertaining evening. Perhaps it was just the performance I attended where the audience seemed comprised of a single demographic, and that’s why I would love to continue hearing opinions of others who saw the show. Again, thanks for your comment. I will definitely consider giving Salty another chance!
I saw this show at the Mimi’s Café in Murray. It was a little crowded (I was at a booth with another couple) but I do not agree with the over all tone of the review. It was a very funny show, and the singing was excellent! I also found it deep, and LOVED the ending. I thought it was how Bonnie and Clyde would have wanted them to end their story (also, we saw it two days before Valentines!). I will be back for more.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the show, Mercedes. Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’ve held off replying this post for several reasons. Not only am I a fellow reviewer on this site. I am closely associated with this company and with every actor that preforms with them. That is why I no longer review shows for Salty, because it would be a personal conflict of interest. I generally don’t comment on reviews on UTBA, but I felt this time I had to. Dinner theater has a bad reputation among theater genres. Look at any movie that includes scenes of dinner theater and you will see the schlockiest acting, the worst patrons, the most horrifying conditions, all played to comic effect. It seems to be the best known comedy trope of theater professionals that Dinner theater=death. Yet amazingly, you can seldom find an actor who has actually done dinner theater. They all believe the horror stories they’ve been told, but none have actually done it, much less seen it.
Salty Dinner Theater is not that kind of “dinner theater.” They are a professional company that brings a long history of all genres of theater to bear on the performances they provide. True, it’s not Death of a Salesman, or The Glass Menagerie. It’s not Pulitzer Prize winning theater. It does not provide the same production values that Pioneer Theater Company or Plan B may bring to a show. It is a fun evening of theater and food, with audience interaction and quick-on-your-feet ad libs.
It is obvious from this review that the reviewer shared common prejudices against dinner theater and the stereotypical audience that it attracts. Dinner theater audiences are not less educated than other theater audiences. They are not primarily older nor do they tend to be married couples. This production may have attracted more couples being that it was a romantic story playing around Valentine’s Day. The fact that the breaks had a higher degree of “couples” oriented activities can come as no great surprise knowing that it was around the V-Day holiday. I attended the show at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Orem on Valentine’s and saw not only couples, but families, groups, etc.
Dinner theater, by its very nature, is a much broader form of theater. You are trying to get a story told as you act amongst the patrons, and while they are more generally distracted with eating their meal. Also, in the case of Salty, you have five venues to maneuver around and prepare for. Add to that, you have patrons moving about and talking to each other and you, as well as wait staff that are working to ensure guests have an enjoyable dining experience. The actors need to be prepared for different blocking based on different venues, different layouts based on the number of people in attendance on any given evening, and be aware of their surroundings so that someone’s dinner doesn’t end up on the floor or in their lap. Try doing that in any other theater form. I thought that Alisha Hall did a wonderful job of directing her actors through the show and preparing them for all situations. I think Daniel’s comment above is right on the money: Just because it looks simple doesn’t mean it is. The script was well-written and very detailed. You’re telling a lifetime of story in what amounts to about 60 minutes of stage time. Details will be condensed and combined. But what was there was interesting and what’s more, it was entertaining. I’ve been surprised at some of the things that Salty does, and the ways they make theater work in a restaurant. It is innovative in its own right. I think that most audience members are just as capable of enjoying Shakespeare as they are The Three Stooges.
Tony, thanks for your comment. It was not my intention to insult any audience member, and if that’s what came across in my review I’m sincerely sorry. This was my second experience with dinner theater in my lifetime. The first was as at age 13 and I barely remember it, but what I do remember was a positive, enjoyable evening and a great show. With such a lack of exposure, I wouldn’t say I had any preconceived biases against dinner theater. Nor can I think of hearing any “horror stories” about experiences with it. Salty’s show made me take a step back and realize how different dinner theater is from a play on a typical stage with a curtain and a fourth wall.
Again, I make the comment about the demographic being a single type of person because that’s what I saw the night I attended Bonnie and Clyde: older (than me) couples. I’m glad you pointed out that many other types of persons attended the night you saw the show.
As I said in my review, I acknowledge that the audience loved the show and I was surely in the minority of those who did not. Thanks for your comment, Tony. I love hearing the different experiences people have at the same show.
I am a regular theater goer, and a HUGE fan of Salty Dinner Theater (one of their season ticket holders). I don’t know why some people can’t recognize the artistic merit in something, just because it is also funny and sometimes goofy. I found the conflict to be two young people in a situation that quickly spirals out of control, and all coming to a head in a scene where they are faced with a choice, continue to run, and inevitably face the consequence we all no came to true, or stop and give themselves over, and face the maybe worse consequence of being parted forever. I thought this conflict was deep and well done by the actors of Bonnie and Clyde. After laughing my guts out half the night, the rapid slow down in to this poignant moment was all the more jarring. I found this to be far more than fluff, and yes, very funny and goofy.