Milwaukee Chamber Theatre presents CLYDE'S

Justin Huen, Nate Press, Bryant Bently, and N'Jameh Camara in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of CLYDE'S by Lynn Nottage. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Lachrisa Grandberry and Nate Press in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of CLYDE'S by Lynn Nottage. Photo by Mark Brosilow.

By Mary Boyle

For their second show of the season, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre chose a play by American playwright Lynn Nottage.  The only woman to win the Pulitizer Prize for Drama twice, Nottage’s plays often focus on the experience of working-class Black Americans.  Timely and relevant, Nottage’s most recent play is the story of a group of ex-convicts trying to rebuild their lives, one sandwich at a time, in CLYDE’S.

The truckers who frequent the somewhat dingy diner known as Clyde’s have no idea that Clyde is a woman (Lachrisa Grandberry), that she is a terror to her kitchen staff, that the people making the meals have all done time in jail, or that Clyde, herself, is an ex-convict.  All they know is that the food is good, thanks to Montrellous (Bryant Bently), the sandwich yogi in the kitchen.  While Montrellous can’t convince Clyde that a sandwich can change someone’s life, Rafael (Justin Huen) and Letitia (N’Jameh Camara), who also work in the kitchen, are converts who idolize and aspire to emulate their sandwich guru.  When new hire Jason (Nate Press) arrives, will he be able to handle the heat in the kitchen?

As MCT’s Artistic Director Brent Hazelton points out, Wisconsin incarcerates 615 people per 100,000 per year and, while non-Hispanic Black people only make up 6% of our State’s population, they make up almost 40% of the incarcerated population.  Clyde’s sheds a light on some of the different issues that feed into this problem, as well as how difficult it is for a formerly incarcerated person to find work, which can easily lead to a road straight back to prison.  

Director Dimonte Henning and actors Bryant Bentley (seen this past summer at APT in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and N’Jameh Camara are no strangers to MCT; all three were a part of The Mountaintop last season, and Camara was the sole actor in MCT's season opener, An Iliad. The other three cast members, Lachrissa Grandberry, Justin Huen, and Nate Press, each make their MCT debuts, but are all familiar faces on Milwaukee stages. Lachrisa Grandberry, in particular, delivered a brave and stunning performance as Clyde.  A strong and talented cast, all around, combined with an amazingly realistic restaurant kitchen by scenic designer Stephen Hudson-Mairet and costumes by Trinae Williams-Henning, are what saves this play from the writing, which unfortunately fell short of being great, despite the very real importance of the topic and its relevance to the City of Milwaukee.

Nottage’s dialogue is at times so brutally realistic it makes one cringe to hear it; at others, it feels contrived and unbelievable, which then extends to the characters; some of their stories could be lifted from actual people, while others are so obviously fictional it’s difficult to stay invested.  Some characters are simply not developed enough, and we miss the opportunity to see a redemption or a comeuppance.  The ending, to me, was shocking.  While I realize not all plays have a happy ending, or even a real resolution, this one felt so contrary to the arc of the storyline.  With a topic this important, I wanted a powerful ending that would inspire audiences to empathize with the frustration, anger, hopelessness, and hope of the characters; to think about it in a new and deeper way or, perhaps, even to take action.  Alas, that is not this play, yet it is certainly not without merit. 

Montrellous says, “You know what I love about a sandwich?  It’s a complete meal you can hold between your fingers.”   Do not arrive hungry for this play!  The detailed descriptions of different sandwich possibilities, alone, will have your mouth watering (and may well give you some recipe ideas you’ll want to try at home!  Monty’s sage wisdom about this most humble of culinary delights is insightful and comforting, revealing a beautiful universal truth: done with great love and care, any task can be elevated from a cumbersome job to a sacred act.
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CLYDE’S runs through November 24, 2024, at the Studio Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, located at 158 N. Broadway St. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at (414) 291-7800 (M-Sa, 12-6pm and 2 hours before BTC showtimes) or Online at https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/clydes.
 
Special Events:

• Thursday, 11/14, 7:30pm — Thursday Talkback, a post-show discussion with the artists
• Saturday, 11/16 — SipStudio: An Insider Experience, with behind the scenes sneak peeks and drinks provided by Thelma Carol Wine Merchants — 6:00-8:00pm, between the matinee (4pm) and evening (8pm) shows, free and open to all Saturday, 11/16 ticketholders.
• Thursday, 11/21, 7:30pm — Thursday Talkback, a post-show discussion with the artists
• Friday, 11/22, 7:30pm — ASL Interpreted Performance

 
About Milwaukee Chamber Theatre

This is Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s 50th Season!  To celebrate, they’ve curated a lineup of plays that reflect MCT’s traditional values as they express them today as a part of a “Past, Present, and Future” theme:  

• Exceptionally well-written comedies and dramas from unique voices including two Pulitzer Prize winners in Lynn Nottage and Suzan-Lori Parks, and two of Western literature’s most influential and impactful authors in Homer and Henrik Ibsen, both of whose words are brought to life through pulse-pounding contemporary adaptations.  
• Strengthening and developing the local professional artist community as they continue their four-year track record of more than 90% of season artists residing in Milwaukee or Wisconsin. 
• A commitment to reflecting the multiplicity of Milwaukee’s voices and perspectives with nearly 50% of season artists identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color and more than 50% as women since 2020.

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