The Gamm to Present THE BIG MEAL, 1/9-2/9

The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) stages the Rhode Island premiere of The Big Meal, American playwright Dan LeFranc's award-winning play in which generations of a modern-day family whiz by from birth to that inevitable last course. Tyler Dobrowsky,Associate Artistic Director at Trinity Rep, makes his Gamm debut directing eight actors portraying 26 characters over five generations in quick time shifts and overlapping dialogue typical of a family dinner.

Intimate and exhilarating, The Big Meal runs from January 9 through February 9 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI. Tickets are $38 and $48 (depending on day/time); preview and press performances (Jan. 9-13) are just$28. Discounts for subscribers, groups of 10 or more, seniors and students. Tickets at 401-723-4266 or gammtheatre.org.

Somewhere in America in a suburban chain restaurant on an average night, young people Sam and Nicole meet for a drink. Sparks fly, setting in motion the extraordinary tale of five generations of an ordinary family with the moments, both mundane and milestone, that make a life. Just eight actors at one table morph into multiple characters over almost 80 years, displaying their shared humanity, humor and DNA. The Big Meal is stunningly ambitious, big-hearted and richly satisfying. Reservations recommended.

"The Big Meal is a stunner and one of the most moving and innovative new American plays in many years," Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella said. "We are very proud to bring Dan's work back to Rhode Island where he got his start, and to share this groundbreaking history play of an American family. It's funny, surprising and feels old-fashioned and wholly original at the same time. Bringing Tyler to The Gamm for the first time together with this marvelous multi-generational cast and Dan's funny, heartbreaker of a script is sure to be a highlight of 2014."

A graduate of the MFA playwriting program at Brown University, LeFranc served as visiting faculty in Literary Arts at Brown and head playwriting instructor for the Brown/Trinity Rep Consortium. LeFranc and Dobrowsky (pursuing a master's degree in education policy) roomed for one summer at Brown. "We mostly talked about 'Lost' and made burritos, to be honest," Dobrowsky quipped. "But he did give me a few of his plays to read, including Sixty Miles to Silver Lake, and I thought Dan was cleary a smart, talented writer." Sixty Miles to Silver Lake about a father-son road trip won LeFranc the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award.

Pawtucket Credit Union is this play's sponsor. Providence Monthly is this play's media sponsor. NBC 10 is The Gamm's season sponsor. Additional support from Rhode Island StateCouncil on the Arts.