Pizza Man

Coffee Guy Prods.—Alloway Hall (Man. Museum)

This energetic, exuberant romp gives us two young female roommates who have lost control of their lives. One has just been fired from the latest in a string of dead-end jobs—for refusing to sleep with her boss, no less—and feels she’s wandering aimlessly through life; the other one has found out the boyfriend she broke up with is married.

The girls decide the best way to deal with these things is to create a situation where they have control: to find a man who they do or don’t know, and rape him. Since the girl who broke up with the married man loves food and has ordered pizza, the idea comes up to force their wills on the pizza delivery guy. (I wonder if holding his anchovies occurred to them.)

Ethical struggles follow, as the girls can’t decide whether to go through with their plan, even after they tell the man what they’re up to. They even find a way to “nonchalantly” incorporate the arguably rape-y song Blurred Lines into the mix. Eventually, heart-to-hearts abound for all three and maybe some life lessons are learned.

Everyone here puts on a spirited performance. The characters are generally likable, and ultimately, its heart is in the right place, as the play takes an over-the-top concept and brings it down to earth. There are a couple of sitcom-like zingers that did seem funny only because you don’t expect them in a non-comedy troupe Fringe play.

I’m just glad I wasn’t one of the poor customers stuck waiting for one of those pizzas in the delivery guy’s car still to be delivered after he delivered the girls’ pizza.

Beau Hajavitch