Review: TABLE 17 at Kiln Theatre

Table 17 is about two exes who come together over dinner. Their lives have completely diverged from one another, yet something has drawn them back together. Jada hasn’t seen her ex-fiancé Dallas since their breakup two years ago, when he calls her and asks her to join him for dinner. Despite what her therapist might say about it, she accepts. Although it is definitely not a date.

When they sit down together, they begin to learn about all the ways their lives have changed since they were together and about the people they have become since the breakup. Served by the outspoken, unapologetic restaurant host, River, their night begins at Table 17. Their rendezvous brings up happy, bittersweet, and tragic memories, and you watch their relationship unfold between their conversations. The story wonderfully balances the ups and downs of a relationship through conversation and memory, showing pivotal moments from the encounter to the engagement to the end.

The comedy in this performance is outstanding. Marisha Wallace, Jamael Westman, and Michael Rishawn had incredible chemistry together, and every joke landed with laughs from the audience. The clever switching between the events at table 17 and scenes from their relationship kept the story exciting, with plot twists and surprises as the plotline unfolds. Alongside the comedy, it allows for a touching portrayal of human relationships changing over time and how connections and soul ties can last long after a relationship falls apart.

The audience is invited to participate in the show from the get-go. The involvement has you invested in Jada and Dallas’s storyline from the start, forming a bond between them and the audience. The breaking of the fourth wall was cleverly done to add delightful comedy as well as tenderness to the play. As the audience, it draws you in; you feel like you’re in on the jokes, the secrets, and the memories between Jada and Dallas. The characters feel realistically flawed, further solidifying their connection to the audience. Dallas, who has reached out to Jada after losing her to his work. Jada, who has accepted the invitation to reconnect despite the old wounds it will bring up. And River, a hopeless romantic trapped within the confines of modern-day dating. Whether you are, have been, or have never been in love, you will find something in Table 17 that resonates with you.

Table 17 is a comedy interwoven with a realistic and tragic story of a relationship falling apart and discovering what it might mean to come back together. It explores whether people can move on from old hurt for the sake of feelings that never went away. It’s perfect for people looking for an all-round play.

You could even invite your ex-fiancé(e)… what could possibly go wrong?