''Joni and Gina's Wedding'' is a 2002 American interactive

dinner theater Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. In the case of a theatrical performance, sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to th ...

comedy, conceived by Marianne Basford and written by

Ann Lippert Ann Helene Lippert is a comedian and actress. She co-wrote the audience interactive comedy '' Joni and Gina's Wedding'' with Marianne Basford. Her acting career began with classes at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, where she ...

and Marianne Basford, under the production company Hilarity Ensues. It was originally produced by Basford and directed by Lippert. Audience members are "wedding guests" who mingle with actors posing as members of an eclectic wedding party. The show opened on June 29, 2002, at the Oxwood Inn in Van Nuys, California, and subsequent productions have had successful runs at venues such as the Palms, the Hollywood Improv, the legendary El Cid and Oil Can Harry's. Celebrities such as

Hannah Waddingham Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Ch ...

Alison Arngrim Alison Margaret Arngrim (born January 18, 1962) is an American actress and author. Beginning her television career at the age of twelve, Arngrim is a Young Artist Award– Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award honoree, best known for he ...

from ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books comprise a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adulthood in the Midwestern United States, Americ ...

'' and comedian/activist

Robin Tyler Robin Tyler (born Arlene Chernick, April 8, 1942) is the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national television, a feminist and pioneer in the grassroots struggle for LGBTQ civil rights and marriage equality in the U.S., and a producer. S ...

have appeared in productions. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Equality Campaign, which helped to fight against

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

constitutional amendments A constitutional amendment (or constitutional alteration) is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly alt ...

that discriminate against same-sex marriage. In 2004, ''Joni and Gina's Wedding'' won the ''Curve'' magazine Theater Award for being a positive presence in lesbian theater.

Plot

An all-American military family joins an overbearing Jewish family as they attend their gay daughters' wedding and wild reception. The party begins as wedding guests arrive and mingle at the bar area where appetizers and cocktails are served. Family members also mingle and greet patrons who are soon escorted into the "church" for the "almost holy" union of the two young lovers: Joni Gottlieb, a Jewish sports enthusiast, and Gina Spaulding,

the independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

daughter of a rigid military family. After dinner, wedding cake and champagne are served, and the real fun begins. Guests participate in a not-so-traditional bouquet toss, learn to line dance, dance the

Hora Hora may refer to: Companies * Hora (company), a Romanian manufacturer of stringed musical instruments People, real & mythological * Hora (pl. Horae), figure from Greek mythology * Hora (surname) * Hora, a member of the Japanese duo Schwarz St ...

, and have many surprises. The three-ring circus ends as everyone participates in a sing-a-long finale.

References

American plays LGBTQ-related plays Fiction about Jews and Judaism 2002 plays Dinner theatre {{LGBT-fiction-stub