Playwright: Tim Joyce
At: Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark
Contact: 773/338-2177; $12-$15
Runs through: July 16
BY CATEY SULLIVAN
Incomplete intrigue. That's what we get with Raven Theatre's Diner Tales, two related but disjointed acts set in a Chicago diner populated by circus-artist waitresses, mean-spirited Greeks and a collection of regular yet eccentric Joes.
Over all-day breakfasts and bottomless cups of coffee ( with Kelly Dailey's uber-realistic set design including a fully functional grill ) , we eavesdrop on discussions ranging from the Zen of street parking to the philosophy behind drinking coffee and Diet Coke simultaneously. ( It's a matter of patriotism, explains one of the regulars: 'It's my duty as am American to consume as much as possible.' To do otherwise is 'telling the terrorists they won.' )
But for all the true-to-life oddballness of the diners and the authentic, ever-present smell of toast and fried eggs, Diner Tales doesn't ultimately satisfy. With each act, we get the start of something good, only to be brought to a conclusion that feels like playwright Tim Joyce didn't know how to end things and so just kind of stopped writing.
Moreover, the two acts of Diner Tales, while billed as 'overlapping,' are more disconnected than anything.
The first act deals with that tired trope of Peter Pan men trying to come to grips with undeniable middle age. ( 'I was cutting-edge once—during the Reagan administration.' ) In addition to expressing their fortysomething angst, they both spend a great deal of time talking about the comely rear end of waitress Ilana ( Christa Trinler ) and cracking themselves up by reciting funny baseball names. It's a conversation we've all heard variations on a thousand times before, from Sideways to Diner: the navel-gazing wonderment of men discovering they're no longer young enough to be cool, and not yet old enough to be wise.
Joyce's dialogue is peppered with wonderful bits ( 'I'm being obtuse.' 'I don't know what that word means.' 'Apparently I'm still being obtuse.' ) and a conversation on adultery is both acute and hilarious. But on the whole, this is an act that goes nowhere in particular. It's all atmosphere, and no point.
The second half falls into downright mediocrity, as the focus shifts to Ilana and fellow waitress Elsie ( Stacie Doublin ) . A completely predictable storyline about the father of Elsie's baby predominates, as does a contrived showdown between diner owner George ( Larry Carani ) and Ilana. The closing scene is a snapshot that means nothing, and leaves the audience hanging about the conflict between Ilana and George. But since we don't much care about that conflict anyway, the final abrupt scene is utterly beside the point.