TREIF PLAY

by Evalena Lakin

The Restaurant, the hottest dining establishment in all of Chicago, is in disarray. Nora quit two days ago out of nowhere, and no one seems to know why. Rachel is brand new and has no idea what she’s doing.

Rumors fly, servers spar, and secrets come to light in this ensemble play about the abuse of power in two radically different communities, and how to rebuild from the wreckage.

How to begin again.

The Restaurant, the hottest dining establishment in all of Chicago, is in disarray. Nora quit two days ago out of nowhere, and no one seems to know why. Rachel is brand new and has no idea what she’s doing.

Rumors fly, servers spar, and secrets come to light in this ensemble play about the abuse of power in two radically different communities, and how to rebuild from the wreckage.

How to begin again.

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TREIF PLAY

Recommended by

  • Catherine Weingarten: TREIF PLAY by Evalena Lakin
    “

    A funny, fast paced, sexy workplace comedy that sizzles with tension, identity politics, religious angst and all the fun things. Evalena has an ear for dialogue and the writing has an amazing boiling, quiet tension to it that explodes at just the right moments.

    A funny, fast paced, sexy workplace comedy that sizzles with tension, identity politics, religious angst and all the fun things. Evalena has an ear for dialogue and the writing has an amazing boiling, quiet tension to it that explodes at just the right moments.

    ”
  • Chris Vanderark: TREIF PLAY by Evalena Lakin
    “

    Evalena does a really great job of creating a rich setting for this play and for its characters to exist in. The Restaurant itself is a character we meet throughout the play through the interwoven plots that navigate their way through it. By the end, the narratives create some beautiful and heartbreaking parallels that feel very honest and fresh and very Chicago. I'm looking forward to seeing where this play goes next.

    Evalena does a really great job of creating a rich setting for this play and for its characters to exist in. The Restaurant itself is a character we meet throughout the play through the interwoven plots that navigate their way through it. By the end, the narratives create some beautiful and heartbreaking parallels that feel very honest and fresh and very Chicago. I'm looking forward to seeing where this play goes next.

    ”
  • Dizzy Turek: TREIF PLAY by Evalena Lakin
    “

    who's talking? who's not? friedman proves she's a master of misdirection. you'll be drawn in by the speed of the well honed restaurant dialogue-the ins and outs of the lives and loves of the staff all the while certain silences, certain unknowns begin to pile up until they all spill out. who's holy and who isn't? who can sin and who can't? can you escape the patriarchy and can you build a new life outside it? all important questions, all investigated in friedman's rich play.

    who's talking? who's not? friedman proves she's a master of misdirection. you'll be drawn in by the speed of the well honed restaurant dialogue-the ins and outs of the lives and loves of the staff all the while certain silences, certain unknowns begin to pile up until they all spill out. who's holy and who isn't? who can sin and who can't? can you escape the patriarchy and can you build a new life outside it? all important questions, all investigated in friedman's rich play.

    ”
View all 5 recommendations

Character Information

This is Chicago. This is the service industry. The people who live inside this play need to reflect that. Diversity must be a priority.
  • Chef
    Bobby Flay meets the Wolf from Into the Woods. Carries power comfortably. Always pushing himself to be better, even when he’s at the top of his game. This guy can turn on a dime: jovial one minute, filled with ice-cold fury the next. Sometimes, you get the sense that if pushed far enough, he could kill you with his bare, calloused hands.
    Mid-late 40s
    White
    he/him
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Reb Mendelssohn
    Did a very bad thing. Feels remorse, but not nearly enough. Has appetites unbecoming for a man who has devoted his life to his faith. Thinks he’s untouchable.

    Played by the same actor playing Chef.
    40s-50s
    White/Jewish
    he/him
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Rachel
    Backserver. She has been sheltered from the outside world until very recently, which gives her a frightened/child-like naivety, but also a hunger for life itself. Everything is new to her, nothing is familiar. She is harboring a deep shame, a pain at the very center of her, that seems to follow her no matter how far she runs.
    She is looking for a friend.
    mid 20s
    White/Jewish
    She/her
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Billie
    Backserver. Fierce friend & feminist. Feels all of her feelings loudly and all at once. Became an actress even though her parents begged her to go to med school. Loves musicals, loves her therapist more. The kind of person who can pull off a velvet mini-dress without a bra. The kind of person who traps spiders in cups and then releases them in the alley. The kind of person you want in your corner.
    early 20s
    Any
    She/her
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Marlowe
    Server. Often the smartest person in any room, but not a dick about it. It takes a lot to make them lose their cool – they like to keep their feelings below the surface, where it’s safe. Once, they were a beautiful ballerina, one of the best. Not being able to dance anymore feels like a piece of their soul is missing. Still trying to feel comfortable in their own skin.
    mid-late 20s
    Any
    they/them
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Non-binary
  • Zane
    Server. Kicked out of his Virginia home when he came out at age seventeen – he’s been on his own ever since. Full of opinions but is NOT your Sassy Gay Friend, honey. A performance artist trying to be seen/heard. Has an ethereal energy at times. A peacemaker at heart. Somehow, there is a little bit of glitter on him at all times.
    Early 30s
    Any (but probably BIPOC)
    he/him
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Nora
    Server. Everyone loves Nora – how could you not? She is So. Nice. Not fake nice. Real nice. Like, she genuinely wants to know how your cat’s kidney surgery went, or how the tomatoes you planted in your community garden are doing. Would never hurt a fly, ever… or so we thought.
    Early-mid 20s
    Any
    She/her
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Leon
    Bartender. Oozes sex - not in a creepy/predatory way, he just loves having sex (and he’s really fucking good at it, which helps). Used to be kind of a douche but has changed his ways. Kind, generous, calls his mom every Sunday. Plays the drums for several local bands (he’s really fucking good at that, too). Try not to fall in love with Leon. I dare you.
    Mid-late 20s
    Any
    he/him
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Andrea
    The only female manager at the restaurant - surrounded by men at all times. Fought tooth and nail to get where she is. Wanted it the most, pushed herself the hardest, loves the work the fiercest. Often intimidating, often called a bitch behind her back (#doublestandards). Has twin daughters with her partner. With them, she’s a completely different person – silly, affectionate, warm. Sometimes, she wishes she could be both at once.
    30s-40s
    Any / Jewish (not all Jews are white)
    She/her
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Reading, Ritual Reading Festival - Strawdog Theatre Company, 2019