Coffee Lady by Bridgette Dutta Portman

[One-act] Joanne hates her job at McCarby’s: minimum wage, irritating customers, an overbearing boss, and a geeky coworker. When Jo’s con artist sister, Char, comes up with a scheme to spill hot coffee on herself and sue McCarby’s, Jo goes along with it. Can they pull it off, or is it too tall an order? Will someone spill the beans? How many coffee puns can we cram into this synopsis? And why is a mysterious...
[One-act] Joanne hates her job at McCarby’s: minimum wage, irritating customers, an overbearing boss, and a geeky coworker. When Jo’s con artist sister, Char, comes up with a scheme to spill hot coffee on herself and sue McCarby’s, Jo goes along with it. Can they pull it off, or is it too tall an order? Will someone spill the beans? How many coffee puns can we cram into this synopsis? And why is a mysterious old woman following Jo? Inspired by the 1992 McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit, COFFEE LADY is a comedic ghost story about sibling rivalry, denial, corporate greed, and the power of truth.
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Coffee Lady

Recommended by

  • Daniel Prillaman:
    26 Dec. 2023
    “ A fun (and enlightening) jaunt through the soul-sucking rage monotony of corporate fast-food, the adrenaline pumping highs of con-artist shenanigans, and actually really painful burns, you should go to the hospital. Jo and Char are hilarious foils, but are anchored through a genuine relationship, which makes the places we wind up all the more meaningful. A lovely commentary on not only empathy, but giving everyone (including ourselves) more grace for struggling to exist in a capitalist hellscape. Strangely, I am also now thinking Arby's... ”

JOANNE, female, mid 20s. An employee at McCarby’s, a fast-food restaurant.
CHAR, female, late 20s. Joanne’s sister. A con artist.
PETE, male, early-mid 20. Joanne’s coworker. A bit of a nerd.
CLAUDIA, 30s-40s, Joanne and Pete’s manager. No nonsense.
WOMAN, late 70s, a mysterious presence that only Joanne can see.
LAWYER for McCarby’s, any age and gender.
HOST of a TV news show, any age and gender.
Three McCarby’s CUSTOMERS, any age and gender.

Doubling is possible.

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Awesome Theatre
    ,
    2022