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Finally, Milwaukee audiences have a chance to devour Lynn Nottage’s popular play Clyde’s. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre stages an amazing production that is a must-see show for the late fall theater season. Clyde’s continues through November 24 in the Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center.
About a year ago, we covered the Wisconsin premiere of Clyde’s by Madison’s Forward Theatre. Prior to its Broadway debut (2021), Clyde’s was staged by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre (September 2020). The play soon went on to New York, and the long-running Broadway production was nominated for five Tony awards. Clyde’s continues to be one of the the most-produced plays in America’s regional theaters. Now, it finally comes to Milwaukee as part of Milwaukee Chamber’s 50th season.
Despite its tardy appearance, this production of Clyde’s was worth waiting for. Milwaukee’s version is staged in an intimate black box theater. This small space puts the audience almost in the actors’ laps as this fast-paced comedy unfolds.
Clyde’s is set in the kitchen of a small diner that mostly caters to truckers. The diner is named for its owner, Clyde (played with malicious glee by Lachrisa Grandberry). Clyde knows what her customers want: simple, traditional sandwiches that are delivered quickly to their table. Under the focused direction of Dimonte Henning (who appeared as a cast member in Forward Theatre's production), the characters dispatch an endless number of uninspiring tuna salad-on-white-bread sandwiches and turkey-and-cheese sandwiches during the play's 100 minutes. If a diner requests ketchup on a peanut and butter sandwich, the cooks are obliged to deliver on their request.
Food for the Soul
In between sandwich orders, the four “cooks” entertain themselves by dreaming up some elaborately prepared sandwich combinations. Their goal is to create the “ultimate sandwich.” The master of this game is Montrellous (Bryant Bentley), the oldest member of the crew. He takes the process of creating and eating these specially crafted sandwiches to a Zen-like level. The other cooks feed off of his inspiration, including Rafael (Justin Huen), the grill cook, and Letitia (N’Jameh Camara), who preps the ingredients. The team is soon joined by a fourth cook, Jason (Nate Press), the only white character in the play. His face is inked with white supremacist tattoos, which now seem to embarrass him.
The kitchen contains a cozy, tight-knit staff, if not an ideal one. All of the cooks (including Clyde herself) are former prison inmates. They have all learned the hard way about released felons who try to seek employment. Only Clyde is willing to take them in.
This sense of charity seems to be Clyde’s only redeeming feature. Every time she drifts through the diner’s kitchen, she manages to deflate at least one of her employees. She calls them “morons” and keeps them in line with the precision of a prison warden. Every time her hard exterior threatens to “crack,” she catches herself and barks more orders at the crew.
In contrast to Clyde’s harsh behavior, Montrellous becomes sort of a father figure to the rest of the staff. He keeps them going, even when the world seems to be allied against them.
Overall, the kitchen staff tries to look out for each other. When Rafael seems close to resuming his drug habit, others call him out on it. When Letitia is unable to find competent care for her special needs child while she’s at work, another cook steps in to offer a solution. Near the end of the play, the formerly reticent Jason eventually decides to “create” his perfect sandwich. His eager anticipation as he waits for his coworkers' reactions is among the show’s more comic moments.
Characters Ring True
Each actor creates a realistic, fully formed character. The characters are believable and sympathetic, representing real people who are trying to get by in the moment before better opportunities come along. The audience cannot help but get drawn into their lives.
Dimonte Henning rightfully should be credited for being a choreographer as well as a director. Each scene has the characters moving around the small space in beautifully coordinated precision.
The Milwaukee Chamber production is superbly supported by a realistic set (by set designer Stephen Hudson-Mairet), and subtle but effective lighting (by Maaz Ahmed). Sound designer Josh Schmidt adds a variety of sounds to heighten the play’s realism. Special mention goes to costume designer Trinae Williams-Henning, who outfits Clyde in a variety of skintight outfits that meld fashion with a dose of dominatrix-type power. Credit also goes to properties designer Simone Tegge, who keeps the kitchen's refrigerators stocked with an endless number of ingredients and sauces.
As was the case in the excellent Madison production of Clyde’s, sadness underlies all of the play’s humor. For every funny moment, there’s another one that hits home about the predicament these characters find themselves in. Nottage seems to be saying that their survival will be based on their success at bonding together, building a sense of community is the first step towards creating their sense of purpose and self-respect.
Clyde’s continues through November 24 at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee. Running time is 100 minutes with no intermission. For more information on this and other Milwaukee Chamber productions, call 414-291-7800 or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.org.
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