The counter at a diner is more than a place to wake up with that steaming first cup of joe. It can mean that first smile or “hello” of the day. It can be a refuge from the noise outside.
In the case of Meghan Kennedy’s play “The Counter,” it can also be “this classic American landscape where two people are trying to be better versions of themselves for someone else,” said Kate Rose Reynolds who’s co-starring in Moxie Theatre’s season-closing production of this relatively new one-act.
The Roundabout Theatre Company production of “The Counter” made its world premiere only last fall in New York. Moxie Executive Artistic Director Desireé Clarke Miller said she and her staff were “shocked” that “The Counter” was available for them to produce so soon after its premiere, but they were also thrilled.
“We loved that the play reminded us of the America we all hope to see,” she said.
“The Counter” became Moxie’s last production of its 20th season, after the company pivoted from Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s “Do You Feel Anger?” which Clarke Miller said will be staged there at some future date.
“In addition to other things,” she explained, “we felt a big shift in our cultural environment and the way our actors and staff and patrons are feeling. Everyone wanted a sense of comfort right now.”
Comfort food’s a staple at diners everywhere, but Kennedy’s play, which Clarke Miller is directing, is more complicated than that.
“The Counter” is set at a diner in upstate New York where Katie (Reynolds) pours the coffee and waits on customers. One of them is Paul (Mark Stevens), a regular.
“These two people know each other, but in a customer/server relationship,” said Reynolds. “They’re not friends. The crux of the play is this idea that they can be friends and talk about real things.”
That expansion of their relationship is catalyzed by their agreement to trade secrets.
“They’re both guarded about things in different ways,” said Reynolds. “The secrets they’re willing to share at the beginning versus the thoughts and fears they’re holding onto. The beauty of what unfolds is these people go from sharing secrets that maybe don’t cost them a lot to secrets that cost them a whole lot more. That can only happen as they develop interest in each other and a trust in each other.”
The Paul character, in particular, is dealing with grief.
“His family has shrunken down to just himself,” Clarke Miller said. “He’s questioning ‘What am I doing with the rest of my life?’”
This leads to his making a dramatic and unexpected request of Katie.
“The Counter” is a so-called dramedy, and in spite of its darkness a play that sounds an optimistic note.
“There are moments that are delightfully funny,” said Reynolds, “but it has something very real to say about moving on from grief and how we process that. There’s a sense of hopefulness. It can get better. We can get better.”
Meanwhile, you could say that Reynolds has been prepared to play her part in “The Counter” long before Kennedy even wrote it.
“All of my years in the service industry are now paying off, finally,” Reynolds said, with amusement. “Katie’s experience is incredibly different from mine. But I worked in cafes when I was 14, then switched from cafes to bartending.”
‘The Counter’
When: Previews, Wednesday and Thursday. Opens May 16 and runs through June 1. 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays
Where: Moxie Theatre, 6663 El Cajon Blvd., Ste. N, Rolando
Tickets: $20-$48
Phone: 858-598-7620
Online: moxietheatre.com
