The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of a home. The pandemic of the past year has perhaps made this room more frequented than ever. The Eden Theater Company is presenting three short one act plays collectively themed as The Kitchen Plays. In these works, the idea of nourishment, or a lack thereof, contemplates all kinds of hunger.
The Passion Project takes place in the cramped kitchen of a dive bar. Larry is working in “this dump” to make ends meet. There are little to no acting gigs in a pandemic. His cat is not doing well either. He’s taken two extra shifts to pay for the cat’s medication. Cass has stopped by for help on an audition. In between work dramas both big and small, they read lines, or try to.
There is a richly developed comparison between these two differently aged souls. Larry’s cat is his companion. He fears what will happen as “loneliness is a tricky bitch at my age.” In this era of isolation and quarantine, Larry says what many of us think: “I’m wasn’t ready for this kind of alone.” Cass is there ostensibly for help but rather functions as the beacon of light leading this weathered man safely to shore.
The realism in the performances from Larry Fleischman and playwright Cassandra Paras were perfectly suited to this material. The claustrophobia of the tight space and the oppressiveness of a hostile work environment were effectively realized through Byron Anthony’s direction. This play was my favorite of the three with its deft balancing of despair and hope, of loneliness and connectivity, and for its honesty in addressing the urgent needs of the human psyche.
Ginger Bug self-describes itself as “Bob Fosse meets The Great British Baking Show meets Upright Citizen’s Brigade.” That is certainly an apt description for the start of Jake Brasch’s play. For nine months, Perry (Mr. Brasch) and Janine (Madeleine Barr) have performed “The Great Tuesday Cook-off” on Zoom from their separate kitchens. The opening theme song is a silly hoot memorably rhyming Mary Berry with Guy Fieri.
The food is not basic like simple crostini. It’s much more involved than that. Perry has made “garlic red pepper bruschetti fermented for three weeks before placed on top of sourdough crostini and drizzled with an eight year old balsamic reduction.” From the tone of the two friends, you can tell there is an easy relatability between them.
A short rib dish will not go as planned, however. As a result of this particular shoe leather, the play takes a hard turn. These two friends are coping with social distancing with varying levels of success. Nine months of cooking show feel differently depending on your perspective. You relate to one chef whose relishes this weekly highlight. You relate to the other chef who is exhausted from the expectations of five course meals.
The drama explored in Ginger Bug felt a bit heavy handed to me but the concept was intriguing. Hard not to feel sorry for the guy who names his sourdough starter Marvin. And also, in equal measurements, laugh with him.
Tara (Owen Alleyne) has invited his estranged parents over for dinner in the last play in this trilogy titled For the Family. They reached out after not having spoken for more than three years. While too casual a dish, baked ziti appears to be what’s for dinner. Madison Harrison’s play investigates the minds of younger individuals than in the previous two segments.
A roommate (Danielle Kogan) slugs some liquor before heading out to a gathering without wearing a mask. Tara laments the decision made to host the parents for dinner. An unsurprising plot twist follows. Tara realizes, “I never should have called.” This final play certainly puts a mirror to current times. These characters, however, did not come across as three dimensional so I found myself uninvolved with and unmoved by their story.
The Kitchen Plays continues performances live via Zoom on February 11, 12, 19 and 20, 2021.