The Dinner Party

What I liked

I really liked the chemistry between the actors. The character of Cameron was really interesting and their position of idolizing the Duncan and Penny relationship is something I found interesting early on. I liked the way text messages were presented, with the combo of spoken dialogue and visible messages. I think having a different actress read the text than the ones onstage helped preserve the idea of it being a mystery to Duncan even once it was clear who was sending them.

What I didn't like

I was really turned off by the… jokes maybe or at least references to the main character having been planning to go to a gay sex party. It felt like a mid-2000s sitcom tossing in gay sex as a joke or like the most debauched thing a person could do. It really took me out of the show. If the intent was to explore that Duncan was a character who was ashamed of his potential queerness and that was fueling his infidelity, then I don’t think it succeeded. It just felt like a cheap gay joke and I’m surprised given how many queer folks seemed involved in the show.

My overall impression

I think the show is really ambitious, and makes some interesting choices with storytelling for an otherwise pretty standard cheater plot. It’s definitely a familiar feeling for anyone who has been cheated on or gaslit. Or for anyone who has seen a show or movie or heard a song about someone cheating.