Photo by Craig Schwartz Photography
Americans are obsessed with sandwiches. What began as a cost-saving meal created from scraps has become a reflection of who we are. That hand-sized feast is now an indication of everything from class and gender to race and culture.
Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lynn Nottage explores the existential meaning of a sandwich in her comedy titled “Clyde’s” now showing at the Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum until December 18th.
A multiracial cast of formerly incarcerated misfits scratch out a living by working at Clyde’s, a sandwich shop at a truck stop owned by a diabolical woman name Clyde. Each member has a different set of issues that caused them to go to jail. Now on parole, their need for meaning and redemption is dramatized by trying to create the perfect sandwich as they learn how to “let go and cook.”
“Using a sandwich as a metaphor for life is such a brilliant idea,” said Tyrone Davis, an Associate Artistic Director at Center Theatre Group. “Not only does the play make me hungry, especially at this time of year, but I love the beauty, art, and healing of cooking and watching the characters grapple with life after incarceration and how to start over and to dream. It’s so beautiful to me.”
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Photo by Craig Schwartz Photography
The playwright creates a meal of reality that could fit in any city in the USA. To kick off the play’s opening, the theatre invited local Black restauranteurs to share samples of their menu with other African American business owners.
“We hosted a Black-owned business night,” said Davis. “We’re always thinking about what’s happening on our stage and how to connect that to our community. Los Angeles is such a rich city,” he added.
Some of the Black-owned restaurants that participated were Gwen’s Specialty Cakes, Lura’s Kitchen, South LA Cafe, Sip & Sonder, and Alta Adams, just to name a few.
“South LA Café is so much more than a coffee shop,” said Davis. “They do so much for the community such as food giveaways. They’ve just expanded to a second location.”
But one restaurant in which art reflected real life is co-owner, chef, and Watts native Keith Corbin of Alta Adams, the new Hollywood hotspot in the West Adams district. Corbin opened the restaurant with Michelin-starred restaurateur Daniel Patterson in 2018.
“Alta Adams is one of the first restaurants we reach out to,” said Davis. “Keith is like a real-life Clyde. He’s written a book called ‘California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival’ that talks about his journey from being incarcerated to owning one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles.”
Photo by Craig Schwartz Photography
Corbin is living his best life. A former crack dealer who was in and out of jail found the healing art of cooking and is now living the dream.
“I was the oldest of five children with a mother on drugs,” said Corbin. “Being the oldest, you have to know how to cook and raise siblings.”
Corbin said he wanted to combat many false narratives. One is that soul food isn’t healthy because it can be when made with fresh ingredients. The other was that hiring formerly incarcerated people, single parents or unskilled people from marginalized communities is bad for business.
“People try to paint me as a unicorn or a needle in a haystack,” said Corbin. “I wanted to show that if you give people like this an opportunity, many people can flourish and shine,” he said, adding that he will be opening another location and will promote from the ranks of those who helped the Adam’s location to succeed.
“Clyde’s” cast includes Tamberla Perry (Clyde), Kevin Kenerly (Montrellous), Reza Salazar (Rafael), Garrett Young (Jason), and Nedra Snipes (Letitia). The play is directed by Kate Whoriskey. The show closes on December 18th. Tickets are available for purchase online at CenterTheatreGroup.org or by phone at (213) 972-4444. The Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre) is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, 90012.
