The Counter: High octane drama powered by Chock Full o’Nuts

A grumpy recluse of a man – complete with bushy beard – strolls into a run-down cafe, sits down at his usual counter stool and drinks his daily cup of caffeine while indulging in typical badinage with a not-particularly-interesting, not-particularly-interested, generic guy Waitress.

At least we’re given something to think about in the opening scenes of The counterMeghan Kennedy’s fascinating new play at the Laura Pels Theater at the Roundabout. Add Anthony Edwards and Susannah Flood, two fine actors who illuminate the far-from-generic inner lives of the seemingly simple characters, and the quiet but deft direction of David Cromer, and you have a most provocative new American play.

Kennedy, author of Naples, Brooklyn And Too much, too much, too many (both also made at the Roundabout) takes place in a breakfast bar in a small town in upstate New York. “Far to the north,” the program says, in one of these underpopulated, isolated places. “When was the last time you had a conversation in this city that was about more than just the ice on the streets?” asks Paul as the two begin a series of conversations about everything but ice on the streets.

Waitress Katie (Flood) seems more than content to hide behind her counter, where she apparently only has one customer. Paul (Edwards) clearly appreciates Katie’s daily presence in his life and gives his reasons: “For one thing, you make good coffee with a bad machine” – a line that symbolizes the tasteful nature of Kennedy’s dialogue.

Paul appears to be a shy loner with little past and no future, while Katie is a much younger loner with a hidden past and a questionable future. (“Certain things, no matter how much we want them, will never be ours,” Paul notes, “like spirit. Or courage.”) However, it is revealed – in a late, brief scene with a third character, Town Doctor Peg ( Amy Warren) – that suicidal Paul actually has a heroic past, while Katie also has a courageous backstory.

Over the course of ten mornings – short scenes that combine into a brisk, 75-minute piece – Kennedy reveals the facets of her duo as if she were peeling aromatic Vidalias. Details provide surprises, the couple goes through something like a love affair through secrets that are revealed like in a game. However, it’s not a game. Kennedy flirts with clichés, but doesn’t succumb to any of them. She was original enough to create a story about the lonely customer and the lonely waitress, both of whom are hiding from life (and for good reason). not ultimately saved in each other’s arms. Imagine that!

Edwards takes on his role skillfully, he is grim from the start, but always gives an idea of ​​the well-rounded character that eventually reveals itself. Last seen in the Cromer-directed production of Prayer for the French RepublicEdwards comes onto the scene after a long and successful Hollywood career that began in the early 1990s with remarkably intelligent performances on series like… HE And North orientation. If Flood is less known to audiences – her stage performances include the following: Birthday candles, Employee meal and Cromer’s production of Lucy Prebble The effect– She gives an impressive performance. Those sitting in the front sections of the small theater will likely be charmed by her simple expression. Warren, who we first saw as the memorably unlikely romantic interest in Cromer’s astonishing 2008 musical Add machineShe does wonders with her small role. Rounding out the dialogue are a series of voicemail messages recorded by actor Will Brill (currently in). Stereophonicformerly at Cromer’s An argument for the existence of God).

When you enter the auditorium, you immediately notice Walt Spangler’s strangely crooked stage design. The narrow café is not arranged from right to left as is obvious, but in the opposite direction to the front, with the counter facing away from the stage wall towards the audience. This creates uncomfortable visibility and may leave you wondering what you can (and can’t) see from your seat. This fractured view was, of course, intentionally invented by Cromer and Spangler; It works wonderfully and forces us to take a different look at this play and the characters than it seems. Spangler outfitted the set with clever touches: a coin-operated gumball machine by the door, a stack of large cans of Chock Full o’Nuts under the counter, a ’60s-era child’s seat, a stash of crayons hidden in the stage corner, and more . Sarah Laux’s not-very-many costumes are spot on, Stacey Derosier’s lighting design and Christopher Darbassie’s sound add to the atmosphere.

You can feel the invisible hand of Cromer everywhere, who, in addition to the productions mentioned above, is also responsible for the uniquely exciting musicals The band’s visit And Dead outlaw. Apparently there are just a few people sitting on an old counter in front of old coffee cups. But the understated director provides an undercurrent of electricity and mystery that culminates in a climax in which the characters are thrown out of their respective shells and come into almost violent contact.

There is a brief history of similarly excellent plays performed at similar concession stands: Robert E. Sherwood’s The Petrified Forest and William Inges Bus stop come to mind. The counter also bears some resemblance to Eboni Booth’s 2024 Pulitzer winner, although different in content Primary trust. Another unheralded play from a small town upstate, created at the Laura Pels Theater at the Roundabout.

This is a high quality group, and The counter fits in exactly. Kennedy is about secrets, grief and escape, about running away and starting over, and above all about standing in front of a door that suddenly opens: you either stay inside, crushed by your usual fear and unhappiness, or you bravely walk through.

“The Counter” opened at the Laura Pels Theater on October 9, 2024 and runs through November 17. Tickets and information: Roundabouttheater.org