WTC brings “The Harry and Sam Dialogues” to stage

The Whitefish Theatre Co. presents its final Black Curtain theatre production of the 2022-23 season with “The Harry and Sam Dialogues” by Karen Ellison. A clever comedy about life and big questions, “The Harry and Sam Dialogues” has performances on May 6 and 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

Harry and Sam are two blue-collar friends who like to pass the time posing outlandish questions to one another. Why is life like a Ding Dong? Where do sandwiches come from? Why is reincarnation named after a flower? And, of course, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Their dialogue initially sounds like a Monty Python skit, but soon deepens as the men use what they can from their own lives to make sense of what everything means. How are men and women different? How well do people really know each other? Is there life after death? As time passes, the questions, once shrouded in indifference, reveal the men’s characters, eventually exposing a truth that changes their friendship forever.

“Like many lifelong friends, Harry and Sam have become comfortable talking to each other in code, often communicating with ridiculous questions and scenarios that have no evident purpose,” says Director Scott Plotkin. “A time comes, however, when they really do need to talk to each other about something serious, but they don't know how. They have had indirect communication for so long that they struggle with straightforward and honest ‘dialogue.’”

Adds Plotkin, “Through this story of banter, betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness, my hope is that audiences deeply connect with the durability of Harry and Sam’s genuine friendship.”

Cast members include Tony Hernandez as Harry, Andrew Matulionis as Sam and Christopher DeJohn as the Narrator. Viewers are reminded that as a Black Curtain production, there will be minimal staging, set and props and actors will be reading from a script.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students for all shows. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office at 1 Central Avenue in Whitefish or by calling 862-5371. Box Office Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. Individual tickets can also be purchased online at www.whitefishtheatreco.org. This show is sponsored by Steve Lull, Ellie Johnson & Paul Conrad, Lynn & Hal Trost, Linda & David Hunt, and Anonymous.