FringeNYC Review: Dead Lunch, or Who Prays for Bad Weather?”
Writer & Director: Tony Borden
1 hour, 25 min.
BY SEAN EGAN | Tony Borden’s new play, “Dead Lunch, or Who Prays for Bad Weather?,” is a comedy set in a world that is, unfortunately, all too familiar to many — the wonderful, horrible, tedious world of the service industry. Specifically, Borden’s two-act comic exercise (which he also directs) unfolds in a run-down diner, as its chatty staff idles away a particularly anemic lunch hour by articulating their working-class ennui, to the detriment of their frazzled manager and dwindling clientele.
It’s a seemingly fruitful topic for a play, but the results are more of a mixed bag than one would hope. Most of the problems reside in the first act, which gets things off to a slow start, and does little to whet the appetite for the rest of the show. Focusing on two young waitresses (one a college student, another an aspiring actress), it essentially captures them gossiping, thinking about the future, and bungling their way through serving their only party of the afternoon.
This isn’t necessarily a bad setup, but the dialogue doesn’t really crackle or sound naturalistic, the way it does in the best dead-end workplace comedies (think “Clerks” or “Waiting”), nor do the characters resonate on an emotional level. And though not much is happening plot wise, it also, unfortunately, very much feels as though nothing of any significance is happening. This lack of an engaging story, combined with the merely serviceable acting of the lead waitresses, provides for an only occasionally amusing viewing experience.
Fortunately, the whole shebang is saved in its second act, which picks up the slack from, and corrects the issues of, the first half. Shifting its perspective to the kitchen staff and the manager working in the back of the restaurant during the same time frame as act one, everything snaps into place, and “Dead Lunch” becomes the funny behind-the-scenes examination of the service industry the first half tries to be. The kitchen staff is a lively bunch, and the characters presented here have empathetic backstories, well-sketched personalities, and serious comedic rapport. It even manages to make the first act look (slightly) better, by paying off on jokes set up early on.
It also helps that the actors in this section bring their A-game. Matt McAllister, as overwhelmed manager Graham, and Maxwell Moran as Miguel the cook do well in their mostly straight-man roles, invoking sympathy as well as laughs. Even better is Jeff Solomon as both French kitchen worker Francois, (sporting an absurd, Clouseau-esque accent and relishing every punchline) and a gentleman customer whose physical comedy and obliviousness is a highlight of the first act. Also tackling dual roles, Adam Pagdon plays the gentleman customer’s elderly, judgmental mother in the first act, as well as the Eastern European dishwasher possessing minimal English skills in the second — two wildly different creations whose comedic timing steal every scene they’re in, while elevating the material they’re provided with.
Perhaps “Dead Lunch” could have shone front to back with a few more revisions of the script. As is, it’s fitfully entertaining, with flashes of heart and inspired humor — but on the whole, a little undercooked.
Thurs. Aug. 20 at 4:45 p.m., Fri. Aug. 21 at 4:45 p.m., Mon. Aug. 24 at 9:15 p.m. At The Celebration Of Whimsy (21 Clinton St. btw. Houston & Stanton Sts.). For tickets ($18), visit FringeNYC.org. Also purchase at FringeCentral, inside the City Lore cultural heritage center (56 E. First St. btw. First & Second Aves.), daily from 2–8 p.m. Order on your smartphone up to 30 minutes prior to performance, at FringeOnTheFly.com.
