Wednesday conversation: Family dinners
This Sunday, May 15, I'll be doing a talkback after the 4pm performance of Alan Ayckbourn's "Table Manners" at Arlington Friends of Drama. I'm given to understand that the table manners of Mr. Ayckbourn's characters are deplorable ... but considerably entertaining. From a synopsis on the play's official website:
In which Reg finds food rather scarce despite having it thrown at him by Sarah... Sarah is scandalised by Annie... Annie is disappointed by men in general and Tom in particular... Tom knocks down Norman... Norman's romantic proposals are ruined thanks to Ruth... Ruth loses her patience, her temper and her glasses... and in which everyone has trouble deciding where to sit...
I've got two tickets to give away to the first person who asks. (If you've won tickets before, please give someone else a chance.) Tickets can be purchased here.
And in the meantime ... what were family dinners like when you were a kid? Did you eat together? Was there a big difference between everyday dining and special occasions or company? What table manners were expected?
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Welcome to Miss Conduct’s blog, a place where the popular Boston Globe Magazine columnist Robin Abrahams and her readers share etiquette tips, unravel social conundrums, and gossip about social behavior in pop culture and the news. Have a question of your own? Ask Robin using this form or by emailing her at missconduct@globe.com.
Who is Miss Conduct?
Robin Abrahamswrites the weekly "Miss Conduct" column for The Boston Globe Magazine and is the author of Miss Conduct's Mind over Manners. Robin has a PhD in psychology from Boston University and also works as a research associate at Harvard Business School. Her column is informed by her experience as a theater publicist, organizational-change communications manager, editor, stand-up comedian, and professor of psychology and English. She lives in Cambridge with her husband Marc Abrahams, the founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes, and their socially challenged but charismatic dog, Milo.
