by Mike Hoban
Slow Food – Written by Wendy MacLeod; Directed by Daniel Bourque. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave. in Boston through July 30.
As anyone who has had to endure what seems like an interminably long time for wait staff to bring food and drink knows, that feeling of utter helplessness can be truly maddening – especially if you’re already famished. That’s the basic setup for Slow Food, the first live offering from The Hub Theatre Company since the pandemic, but playwright Wendy MacLeod puts the all-too-familiar scenario on steroids to great comic effect. Fittingly presented in the air-conditioned comfort of the cabaret space at Club Café in Boston (complete with dining tables and food service), the play serves up a banquet of laughs out of the identifiable situation.
Empty nesters Irene (Jyoti Daniere) and Peter (Steve Auger), on their first vacation since their twenty-something boys have moved out, have started their trip to Palm Springs on multiple sour notes: Problems with their rental car, a broken hot tub at their hotel room, and every restaurant in town closing early on this Sunday night – except for Dimitri’s, the Greek bistro where they score a table. When the hangry couple sits down to order, they have no idea that their first-world horror show has just begun, engineered by their controlling waiter Stephen (“with a PH!”), who withholds food and drink like a galley slave ship boss lording over weary rowers.
The trouble begins right from the get-go when Peter tries to order a beer. Instead of his usual Sam Adams, the waiter keeps insisting that he try the local brew, “The Sweet Goat” that he has no interest in. The overly helpful “suggesting” continues throughout – in theory because the waiter wants to provide an optimal dining experience, but in reality it’s something way weirder, as evidenced by his response to Irene’s request that he bring anything he recommends: “I don’t want to decide for you,” he retorts. “I’m just asking for an exchange, you know? Let me suggest two or three salads so that you can choose with the benefit of my expertise….” And each new recommendation only delays the primary purpose of the couple’s visit – getting food into their growling bellies – as they grow increasingly impatient and desperate.
There’s more to the play than just the exasperatingly strange (but comical) service, as the marriage of Irene and Peter appears to be on shaky ground. The glue that has been holding the marriage together for 23 years in the form of their sons has evaporated, as the boys have left the nest, leaving a void that may not be able to be filled. It’s obvious from the dialogue that they don’t communicate anything personal to each other, as Irene learns that Peter “hates” his job at the same time the audience does. Peter also fears that son Justin, the more free-spirited of the boys, will end up waiting tables for the rest of his life if he doesn’t straighten out soon, and end up like – gulp – their unhinged server.
McLeod is a solid comedy writer, and the play never sinks to cheap sitcom devices to generate laughs. The comic exchanges between the couple and the waiter are well-executed, as are the more contentious exchanges between Peter and Irene. Boston comedy veteran Auger and Daniere are perfectly cast as the beleaguered couple, and their relationship – squabbles and all – feels genuine, giving the audience the feeling that they’re eavesdropping on a conversation rather than watching a play. Multiple Elliot Norton and IRNE Award winner Shopov bridges the delicate balance between annoying and funny with aplomb, and it’s a treat to see one of Boston’s finest dramatic actors in a less serious role (despite the inherent creepiness the role requires). Director Daniel Bourque keeps the pace brisk but never madcap, and uses the entirety of the cabaret space for the actors to perform in instead of restricting the action to the stage, which helps to create the feel of a real restaurant (we literally ate brunch during the show, taking special care to not make noise with our utensils).
Slow Food might not be to everybody’s taste, as the comedy may be a little too close to reality for some folks, particularly since staffing shortages and post-COVID short fuses have diminished the dining experience in many establishments. But it worked for me, and is just the type of light summer fare that we could use more of, given the uncertain state of the world. For tickets and information, go to: http://www.hubtheatreboston.org/
