I Once Read That “A Friend Is Someone Who Likes You.”
What makes A Good Friend? Someone who listens? Someone you’ve known for a long time? Someone with whom you have a history?
I can count on my one hand the number of good friends with whom I could share my inner most secrets. (One passed two years ago)
In Moxie’s latest play, “The Counter” by Meghan Kennedy, Katie (a steadfast, rich and staunch Kate Rose Reynolds) and Paul (steady and sympathetic as he goes Mark Stevens) see each other six days a week at the local diner where Katie is behind the counter and Paul, the customer, sits at “The Counter”.
Paul comes in each morning at about six am and has his first an/ or second cup of coffee of the day while Kate fusses around in back of the counter filling napkin holders, making coffee, cleaning off counters, wrapping silverware in napkins Etc.
At first the conversation is about as serious as how much ice is on the ground. (they live somewhere up up N.Y. State.)
This goes on for about two years until Paul breaks the ice and wants to become ‘friends’, real friends that share secrets.
He has a favor to ask of her.
 |
| Mark Stevens and Kate Rose Reynolds |
Paul is in a funk. He’s had it with his life: Been there, done that. He has lived in this town all his life; was a firefighter, was in the Peace Corps, is a recovering alcoholic, had a secret love affair with one of the town’s well known citizens and is ready to be done with it all.
Kate, on the other hand, moved to this icy town just two years ago. She’s running away from something/someone and is a bit hesitant to share this with Paul. But Paul wants to share secrets. You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine. Eventually the friendship and trust grows and an unlikely alliance forms.
She’s been running away from an embarrassing romantic moment and has saved twenty seven voice messages from her boyfriend. She has not answered any of them and refused to for some time. Paul wants her to drop some poison into his coffee some morning but doesn’t want to know when.
 |
| Mark Stevens and Kate Rose Reynolds |
In a series of short scenes and blackouts, director Desireé Clarke Miller slowly moves the story forward as we see the loneliness in each character develop, sad as it may be.
Kate refuses to drop a lethal dose of poison as Paul asks, but both she and Paul listen to the messages on Kate’s phone. He encourages her to return the calls while she wants no part of poisoning Him. “Do it yourself” she retorts.
While all this is going on, Peg (Kara Tuckfield), Paul’s old flame and town Doctor comes into the coffee shop before Paul on the pretense of getting some coffee cake. When Kate sees the two of them together, she understands the deepness of their relationship and understands Paul’s pain.
In eighty minutes, or so the characters in “The Counter” go from unknown to we almost know them. Kennedy barely scratches the surface of these two vulnerable 'friends', and while in this reviewer's mind it's still a leap of faith for such an encounter to happen, stranger things do happen.
Julie Lorenz’ set design makes it look realistic with working coffee machine and all the accoutrements necessary for a working restaurant. Colby Freel’s lighting design sets the atmosphere for time passing.
The play does tell us that it is it is a sad commentary on lost communication between people who don’t really talk but text.
It’s a sad commentary on where we are as a society afraid to make new friends we can trust.
And it’s a sad commentary when our feelings are hushed and empathy is lost.
Be Patient. The play is about eighty minutes long; time enough for reflection.
See you at the theatre.
When: 7 P.M. Thursdays; 8 P.M. Fridays And Saturdays; 2 P.M. Sundays. Through June 1st.
Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Ste. N, Rolando
Tickets: $20-$48
Phone: 858-598-7620
Photo: Moxie Theatre
Online: Moxietheatre.Com
No comments:
Post a Comment