On the night of his retirement, a legendary Chef invites guests into his home for one final service—only to pit his three children against each other in a fight to continue his legacy. Each must decide whether to follow in their father's footsteps or finally break the cycle. Paired with Chef Ben Baron's 6 course fine dining menu featuring optional wine paring and VIP experiences, this is sure to be an evening you won't soon forget. As dinner guests at Chef Landwald’s retirement party, you become part of the restaurant ecosystem—tasting sauces, plating dishes, navigating kitchen chaos, and influencing outcomes. Do you lend a hand? Take sides? Or—CORNER!—get out of the way? From a lively cocktail reception with roaming characters to an unfolding dinner service punctuated by a family drama that will leave everybody reeling, the show blends performance, play, and culinary art into one unforgettable evening.
Audience Role
Audiences of FAMILY MEAL will take on the role of food writers and industry vets who attend a final dinner service of celebrated Chef Landwald, upon announcement of his retirement. Guests have the option to indicate that they would prefer less interactive engagement from performers, but in general cast will endow guests with an identity and speak to them as an old friend or business acquaintance.
Ages: 13 +
Content Advisories
Interaction Advisories
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3
Events
6
Years on EI
About The Speakeasy Society
We like to talk about how our first show was in a bathroom. It was 2012, we were students at CalArts, and it wasn’t technically allowed. We told the security guards we were filming (which seemed to work), and The Weird Sisters, our site specific witch-centric version of Macbeth, became the unofficial inaugural production of what would eventually become The Speakeasy Society. Seven years and 23 unique productions later, the company is quickly becoming identified as the industry standard for independent theatre companies in Los Angeles --- and immersive theatre companies nationwide. Today, The Speakeasy Society is an LA-based immersive theatre company creating intimate and epic experiences in unexpected places. We create 360-degree worlds that provide space for entertainment and discovery through total engagement. The Speakeasy Society specializes in immersive world-building through shared experiences for audiences of one to more than one-hundred. Our work is characterized by our commitment to creating a narrative where each audience member plays a specific role in the experience and their actions impact their overall journey through the performance. The Speakeasy Society has received institutional support from Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, and we’ve partnered with a variety of cultural institutions in Los Angeles, from The Broad Stage to Two Bit Circus. Currently The Speakeasy Society is developing a new show inspired by the Hero’s Journey and Greek mythology at California Institute of the Arts. While the company and our list of collaborating artists has grown, our goal remains the same: to change what it means to “go to the theater” in Los Angeles, one performance at a time.