Making her first foray into costume design, Langley’s Em Dome is excited for her debut in the theatre industry with Theatre In The Country’s (TIC) latest production, “Dinner with Friends.”
After spending years as a sewer and upholsterer, Dome was fascinated by the history of fashion and clothing.
When an opportunity to design costumes for a Pulitzer Prize-winning “dramedy” knocked on her door, Dome said she was quick to respond.
She is now part of TIC’s 10th season of “Dinner with Friends,” a play by Donald Margulies.
“I am excited to use my skills and training in fashion in a new and creative way,” said Dome.
The show is a real boost for Langley’s theatre scene as, along with Dome, multiple Langley-based artists are performing and managing the performance behind the scenes.
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The show will also feature Lanlgey’s Darcy Knopp, a “well-regarded” local actor, who plays Tom in the production.
Knopp is also an accomplished playwright. One of his plays, Corporate Hell, will be featured in the upcoming Siloam Festival at Langley Little Theatre.
Thomas Smith, who is co-directing the show with his friend Gabe Kirkley, also lives in Langley. Smith and Kirkley met while studying theatre at the University of Fraser Valley.
Smith is an experienced actor with credits in shows around the Fraser Valley.
In a fun bit of kismet, two of the play’s main characters are also old college buddies named Gabe and Tom.
Two of the backstage personnel who are part of the show also hail from Langley.
Stage manager Amber Schneider and backstage crew member Brendan Boyd have worked on several TIC shows.
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“Dinner with Friends” was written and first produced in 1998. The playwright, Margulies, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2020, shared Reg Parks, artistic director at Theatre In The Country.
“It is a wonderful combination of fast-paced comic writing and delivery combined with the poignant subject matter of marriage, friendship and everything in between,” Parks said.
The show is often credited for being the first play to be described as a “dramedy” – a drama and comedy combined.
The show deals with frank discussions about sex and marriage and is intended for an adult audience. The story follows the journey of Gabe and Karen, collaborators in the industry of food literature and a husband-and-wife duo that boasts a relationship to aspire to.
“Dinner with Friends” will run for two weeks only, starting this Wednesday, April 27 and going through May 7. Tickets are available at www.theatreinthecountry.com. The theatre facility is located at 5708 Glover Rd. in Langley City.
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