“Waitress” Serves Up Sweetness

There is a popular expression that goes like this: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. This oft used phrase succinctly encapsulates the philosophy that even the worst situations can be turned around. It encourages both optimism and resourcefulness. In the case of Jenna Hunterson, the protagonist of the show, “Waitress”, when life throws the worst at her, she makes pie.

Jenna’s coping mechanism of creating unique, themed baked delicacies allows her to channel her pain, frustration, and rage into a productive endeavor. Working as a waitress at a quaint Southern diner provides an outlet for the fruits of her emotional labor. The activity of creating and baking pies is Jenna’s Zen meditation and puts her in a more serene state of mind. It draws her focus into a pastime that her dear departed mother enjoyed. Jenna’s mom, Lulu, nurtured that pie-baking talent in her daughter, which was an act of love even as mom Lulu was experiencing the same challenges that would plague Jenna in early adulthood.

When Jenna finds out that she is pregnant, her biggest fear is that she will be forced to stay with her abusive spouse, Earl (here, played by Caleb Reese) for the rest of her days. This becomes the pivotal moment in her life when any decision she makes must also take into consideration her unborn child. It would be difficult to see any humor in this situation, except for the fact that we humans have a habit of laughing to keep from crying.

On the stage of The Phoenix Theatre Company (TPTC), “Waitress” is presented in a seriocomic fashion, sometimes venturing into the slapstick but ultimately staying firmly rooted in the tense theme of feminine angst as experienced by its main characters, three waitresses who work at a quaint little eatery called Joe’s Diner.

Jenna (played by Cassie Chilton) is a world-weary yet doe-eyed optimist in her quest for happiness and in her flights of pie-baking fancy. Becky (played by Chanel Edwards-Frederick) is her sassy, headstrong co-worker and one of her two best friends. The other best friend is Dawn (played by Bonnie Beus Romney), a female nebbish who pins cloth teddy bears onto her apron and who snorts when she laughs.

Despite Jenna’s woes, the mood is generally light, as the trio is a self-contained support group, with each member having her own sob story about their respective love lives. Supporting roles include a corresponding trio of suitors who are eager to sweep our three waitresses off their feet, despite the fact that two of the women are already married. The loose justification that permits these affairs of the heart is the absence of love in Jenna’s and Becky’s marriages. Dr. Jim Pomatter (played by Shonn Wiley) is a self-effacing bumbler when not being a confident and competent obstetrician. Ogie (played by Teddy Ladley) is a zany goof whose interests include Civil War reenactments and spontaneous verse. Cal (played by Joseph Paul Cavazos), the short order cook at Joe’s, loses far too many staredowns against his strong willed nemesis and budding love interest, Becky. 

There is a Joe at Joe’s Diner, and it’s not the aforementioned Cal. Joe (played with grizzled compassion by TPTC veteran Mike Lawler) is actually a Southern blueblood businessman with multiple retail investments. He visits the eponymous shop once a day, attempting to confound the wait staff with very elaborate orders to keep them on their toes.

There is a showstopping performance by Chanel Edwards-Frederick, who does a powerful rendition of “I Didn’t Plan It”, a song about breaking the shackles of unhappiness and embracing what life puts in front of you. Bonnie Beus Romney has her moment with “When He Sees Me”, a sweet ballad of yearning and hope from a girl who has spent too long being a wallflower. Cassie Chilton gives it her all, singing “She Used To Be Mine”, a song about the strong person she once was and that she so desperately wants back.

Almost as an afterthought, we have to recognize the omnipresence of Lulu (an uncredited role), the compassionate spirit of Jenna’s mother. This silent apparition is a source of comfort and inspiration, not to mention a heart wrenching reminder of the cost of staying in an abusive relationship.

With so much going on onstage, it is so fortunate that TPTC veteran, Michelle Chin, designed the choreography in a venue that she could probably navigate blindfolded. Transition between scenes is an effortless swirl of set pieces and props. A Greek chorus of ensemble players blends in and out of the background like a magician’s silk scarves. This, combined with the direction by Chanel Bragg, brings the production to life in a way that envelopes us like the plush, upholstered booth of our favorite old diner. We can practically taste Jenna’s sweet pies.