The comedy from Two Cent Lion moves from the Fringe Festival to the People’s Building

My visit to Josie’s Diner during the Denver Fringe Festival was not just a nostalgic journey down memory lane. It was also a profoundly personal experience reminiscent of the many meals I shared in a diner while living in New York City.

Denver’s Two Cent Lion Theatre Company didn’t just recreate a retro diner; they transformed the beloved Denver diner Butcher Block Café on West 38^th Street into the all-out experience of Josie’s Diner for a day. Despite the limited menu of cinnamon rolls and toast, the authenticity of the experience was a captivating throwback, a testament to the innovative, immersive experiences the Denver Fringe Festival offers. (The show will also be staged at the People’s Building in Aurora June 15-30.)

The immersive comedy is the brainchild of playwright and company founder Kevin Douglas, with the story by Izzy Chern and direction by Gracie Jacobson. As the story goes, Josie’s Diner was established in 1996. Josie may be gone, but her memory and personal impact on others live on through the returning customers.

There was a waitstaff, including Alex (Han Baggs) and Steph (Nellie Spears), to serve customers’ needs. (Kudos to the pair, as my coffee mug was never half-empty, and I had plenty of water.) The waitstaff was also part of the show and interacted extensively with the three groups of patrons, ranging from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.

Roger (Elliott R. Murphy) and Alex (Han Baggs) in ‘Josie’s Diner’ | Photo: Kalen Jesse Photography

Complex relationships

Two Cent Lion productions typically focuses on queerness and its meaning in the ever-changing world. We are first introduced to Baby Boomers Joan (Ronna Burrows) and Vince (Giovanni Roselli), who meet up at Josie’s after a prolonged absence. Joan explains her limited feelings for Vince and, more importantly, her relationship with Josie. Their conversation is filled with a lifetime of memories, as Joan and Vince reflect on the good times — or so Vince thought — and finally accept the reality of their relationship.

Next up is Gen Xer Roger (Elliott R. Murphy), who is in the throes of marital discord with the man he has partnered with for many “loving” years. Waiting alone at the counter, Roger is frank about his indiscretions and even admits to straying from the relationship at times, most recently in a shocking twist of fate. Roger grew up in the ultra-gay world of the big city and both cherishes and despises how that has manifested itself at this point in his life.

Finally, we meet siblings David (Alston Phu) and Dan, now Danielle (Angel Garcia), who carry excessive family baggage — not the least of which is Dan’s transition to Danielle during their years of estrangement. It all eventually overwhelms David, and finally, he bolts from the diner, leaving Danielle to pick up the pieces.

Josie’s Diner has a cinema verité quality that is perfect for this on-site offering. The play emphasizes naturalism and authenticity, depicting real-life situations as they unfold, not unlike cinema verité. The dialogue captures the hidden truth behind what is being said in the slice-of-life presentation. These are three very intense vignettes based on well-developed characters and character interaction. Playwright Kevin Douglas has done it again!

As a testament to good directing, it is hard to tell where improvisation ends, and directed action begins. Director Gracie Jacobson pulls together all the elements of the hour at Josie’s, allowing the cast to follow a script but present it with a natural pitch. Each segment has a riveting quality that builds to a final crescendo when David storms out of the diner.

The actors all adapted a natural style that worked perfectly. They remained in character throughout our time at Josie’s and blended nicely with the paying customers. I was sitting next to Roger before the start and had no idea he was part of the show until he slammed his fist on the counter out of intense rage.

Fortunately, Josie’s Diner isn’t closing after the Denver Fringe Festival. Beginning June 15, it will swap the Butcher Block Café for the People’s Building in Aurora, promising to be as electrifying and true-to-life as it was on-site during the festival.