Busy kitchens contain an inherent, high-pressure drama. The backroom of Arnold Wesker’s Italian restaurant in The Kitchen is one such bubbling space, as is Lynn Nottage’s Pennsylvania sandwich shop in Clyde’s. Hannah Doran’s Papatango prize-winning play, which takes place in a butcher’s shop, joins the ranks.
Like in Nottage’s play, the formidable owner, Paula (Jackie Clune), tends to employ ex-prisoners. This brings the notion of new beginnings but also turbulent pasts and narrowed choices. Doran’s Brooklyn establishment manifests the hopes and disappointments of the nation’s underclass. It is essentially a dissection of the American dream, beginning with 4 July celebrations when the Italian-American meat store receives a massive order.
