By Marilyn Jozwik
Imagine a sandwich shop where sandwiches are made with the heart and soul of their makers.
Now picture those makers as four recently incarcerated felons.
That’s the story of “Clyde’s,” an intense study of four diner workers fresh from jail, who, in their quest for the perfect sandwich, learn that their own imperfections need not keep them from growing and thriving.
Waukesha Civic Theatre has sandwiched this intense, compelling drama between two soft slices of Wonder Bread, a Ken Ludwig comedy, “Moon Over Buffalo” in September, and the musical “Mary Poppins” in December.
Letitia (Ash Meeks), Jason (Keenan Pulver) and Rafael (Roman Valdivia) in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Clyde’s.”
With its multi-racial characters and social justice themes, “Clyde’s” offers lots to chew on, plenty of food for thought all wrapped up in playwright Lynn Nottage’s superior story telling. Truly a welcome, bold choice for WCT. Ashley S. Jordan directs.
This is a stellar ensemble cast that takes Nottage’s story of redemption and runs with it.
The story features five tough characters, people who have seen the seamy side of life. The kitchen staff are basically decent folks who have made mistakes; mistakes which landed them in prison. Nottage makes no effort to try to sanitize the language or situations for these sorts of characters. There are plenty of F-bombs and more. These are not people who have been surrounded by “pleases” and “thank yous” in prison.
Clyde (Autumn Green) checks out her diner’s kitchen in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Clyde’s.”
At a popular truck stop diner that bears her name, Clyde doles out insults and threats to her staff faster than lunch plates, which terrorizes them knowing how hard it is to find work after prison. Played by Autumn Green, Clyde makes the Captain, a prison guard in “Cool Hand Luke,” look like Mother Teresa.
The kitchen staff is headed by Montrellous (Dennis Lewis), who has the demeanor of a mystic. As Jason, the new guy in the kitchen says, “I got trained by a guy that smelled like patchouli and canola oil.”
Lewis’ Montrellous is cool, calm and detached. Except when it comes to his sandwiches. He grows his own herbs and speaks of his creations as if they are a spiritual revelation. Soon, his three kitchen mates are creating their own perfect sandwiches with unexpected ingredients – molasses, caramelized onion, habanero, rosemary—on all sorts of exotic breads, stretching the traditional sandwich into something magical and hopeful.
Letitia (Ash Meeks), almost 30, has a young daughter and an irresponsible mate. Her co-worker, Rafael (Roman Valdivia), adores her and wastes no opportunity to flirt, which Letitia is mostly indifferent to, thinking it’s just workplace banter. But Rafael is serious, which leads to one of the most poignant moments in the show.
Jason (Kenan Pulver), the new guy, is tatted with racial slurs that get him and Letitia off on the wrong foot. Jason tries to evade the drama. “I just want a paycheck and peace,” he says.
Nottage has created five memorable characters, starting with Clyde. Every time she steps into the kitchen, the ring, she knocks the staff down. As Montrellous tries to keep the staff’s head above water, Clyde rebukes him: “Keep your lofty ideas out of their heads…Don’t disappoint me by having aspirations.”
Jason (Kenan Pulver) assembles a sandwich at his work station in a scene from Waukesha Civic Theatre’s “Clyde’s.”
But as they begin to bond, their resilience allows the kitchen workers to get up and fight another day. Until the day THEY deliver the knockout punch.
Green as Clyde becomes more menacing as the play goes on. Parading around in her stuffed-into spandex and black platform boots, she hisses like a snake as she confronts the staff, looking like the demon of hopelessness and self-loathing they need to overcome.
Meeks’ Letitia and Valdivia’s Rafael create a touching workplace dynamic, while Pulver’s Jason maintains the hangdog appearance and attitude of someone who has been beaten down by life.
Shoutouts have to go to scenic designer and builder Evan Crain for the kitchen design, as well as to Chef Pam’s Kitchen, which provided kitchen props and assistance to give the set a real diner kitchen atmosphere.
If you go:
Who: Waukesha Civic Theatre
What: “Clyde’s”
When: Through Nov. 1
Where: 264 Main St., Waukesha
Tickets/Info: 262-547-0708; waukeshacivictheatre.org