Mirey "Mimi" Lopez, Ramses Loera, Marcus Ivey, and Isaac Galarneau Photo by Daniel Lucero

It seems that Nottage, a few years later, is not nearly as pessimistic anymore. Her 2021 play called Clyde's is altogether more upbeat and often funny, even though its characters are also among the more unfortunate among us. I left the theater with a hopeful feeling that four of the five had turned their lives around and would do well despite the odds against them.

Why is the deck stacked against them? Because they all have served time in prison, and with that on your record, you're pretty much a pariah for a long time after getting out. Where can you find a place to live, and more importantly, where can you find a job? Almost no one will hire an ex-con.

That's why they're all working in the kitchen at a truck stop diner named Clyde's. Clyde is the name of the woman who owns the place, and she only hires ex-prisoners because they come cheap and she knows that no matter how badly she treats them, they won't quit because where else are they going to go?

Clyde's is not an upscale place. It's known for its sandwiches, of the grilled cheese and tuna salad type. But the four kitchen workers have aspirations. Inspired by the guru-like Montrellous (Marcus Ivey), they strive to create the perfect sandwich–the platonic ideal, the ne plus ultra, of something as down-to-earth as a sandwich. The miserable Clyde never once gives them a compliment, but they keep at it. Oscar Wilde comes to mind: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

Our four sandwich makers each have their own story of why they were incarcerated, which is gradually revealed to the audience. None of them is an evil person, but a one-time bad decision (excepting the noble Montrellous) has marked them for life. Can sandwiches lead to redemption? One would hope, and as one of my friends said: "I could watch them make sandwiches all night."

The character of Clyde is a different story. Mean, chain-smoking, dirty-minded, and utterly lacking in compassion, she seems irredeemable. It's gutsy for an actress to take on such an unsympathetic role, but Jenelle Baptiste plays it to the hilt. Blowsy and raucous, she's disgusting, but damn entertaining. (Janelle alternates the role with Angela Littleton, who will appear on the second and fourth weekends of the run.)

The other four actors all do really fine work. Mirey "Mimi" Lopez, as Letitia, a mother with a chronically sick child at home, makes you really feel for her difficult situation and her indefatigable spirit. Marcus Ivey is the calm center of the show as Montrellous, and his monologue near the end of the play is beautifully delivered. Isaac Galarneau's Jason starts out sullen and insular, but what a joy it is to see him find a family of sorts with his fellow sandwich makers. And Ramses Loera as short-order cook (but self-styled "sous chef") Rafael gives a terrifically energetic comic performance.

Marya Errin Jones has cast and directed the play wonderfully. She also did the effective sound design, with the faint sounds of the truck stop coming in from a distance. The set design by Mattie Roos and props by the ubiquitous Nina Dorrance are just right. Yaya Cole's costumes fit the characters perfectly, especially the outrageous outfits that Clyde wears. Shannon Flynn's lighting design is spot on, and I'd like to shine a little spotlight on the unseen stage manager Lauren Taylor.

Clyde's is intended, I think, to disabuse us of our prejudices against the previously incarcerated. Many of them need and deserve a second chance. Lynn Nottage, Marya Errin Jones, and the cast and crew deliver this message with humor and compassion. It's a very satisfying theatrical experience. The only thing better would be if they let the audience have a little taste of the sandwiches at the end of the show, even though some of the lettuce has been "disrespected."

Clyde's runs through June 8, 2025, at The Vortex Theatre, 2900 Carlisle NE, Albuquerque NM. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:00. For tickets and information, please visit vortexabq.org or call 505-247-8600.