Review: The St Louis Premiere of COCONUT CAKE at The Black Rep is a Sweet Slice of Theater

In the late 1960’s and early 1970s housewives called them a Coffee Klatsch. The stay-at-home spouses would gather at friends' homes to sip coffee, chat, and gossip. About a decade later people began mall walking for exercise. The walkers would gather in food courts post-exercise to gab over their morning joe. Now as the baby boomers have aged, retired people, frequently older men, gather in local fast-food restaurants where the coffee is cheap, and the seating is plentiful. The men, who gather daily, talk about their lives and discuss current events before starting their day.  

Melda Beaty’s COCONUT CAKE is set in a local McDonald’s restaurant where four men commune daily over a cup of java. Eddie, Joe, Marty, and Hank gather, play chess, joke, and talk about the alluring cake baking siren who just moved into town. Every day as the men enjoy their coffee, they rush to the window to ogle an attractive, well-dressed young lady sauntering down the street. The mysterious woman always stops and interacts with the town beggar who the men call Gotdammit. 

Gotdammnit comes into the McDonalds each day after chatting with the young woman to panhandle and spew his prophet-like religious philosophy. The men placate the eccentric Gotdammit who is oddly observant and knows more about the men than they know of one another. Each one gives the beggar a dollar, some charitably and others begrudgingly, so he can buy a coffee or a sandwich.  

Playwright Melda Beaty has created a sophisticated parable with an ensemble of complex characters. Her storytelling convention does something unique that most plays rarely do. In her humorous dramedy, each of the interlinked characters are both a protagonist and an antagonist. She has given each character a distinct arc with an individual dramatic denouement.  

Director Geovonday Jones, collaborates with his actors, to bring Beaty’s characters to life with unhampered authenticity. Jones has taken a talky script and created genuine dialogue among the five characters. The colloquial expression between Eddie, Joe, Marty, Hank, and Gotdamnnit is realistic and pragmatic under Jones’ deliberate oversight.  

Duane Foster (Eddie), Richard Harris (Joe), Richard Waits (Marty), Joe Hanrahan (Hank), and Lawrence Evans (Gotdammit) speak with an intentionality that establishes believable bonds between the characters. The five men give excellent performances that engender audience investment.  

Beaty’s dramedy is filled with humor and unexpected secrets. Jones and his cast reel the audience in with their quirky characterizations and their amusing and sobering portrayals. Actor Richard Harris is a standout in a performance that is filled with scenery chewing animated pizazz. Credit Costume Designer Brandin Vaughan for his snazzy choices that match Harris’ flashy portrayal.  

Scenic designer Tammy Honesty has created a familiar McDonalds interior with her intentional scenic design. The pendant lighting, stools, tables, chairs, and painted floor are instantly recognizable. Sound designer Alan Phillips and Lighting Designer Tony Anselmo augment the ambiance with cue-timed perfection.  

COCONUT CAKE is a character driven play that examines how the choices we make in the short term impacts our long-term wellbeing. It is a superbly constructed play with surprising reveals that are neither illogical nor unexpected. Beaty’s play is packed with immense honesty. Jones and his talented well-rehearsed cast give Beaty’s exceptional script the eloquent staging it deserves.  

The Black Rep’s fantastic production of COCONUT CAKE continues in the A. E. Hotchner Studio Theatre on the Washington University Campus through March 2, 2025. Click the link below to purchase tickets.

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