NIGHTHAWKS
Blake paints his dramatic world in broad strokes. Nighthawks, set in a diner in 1943 (Hopper’s painting was created in 1942), brings together what the playwright refers to in his press packet as B-movie types: Gil (Dean Kharasch), the small-time hustler; Donna (Joy Ovington), the woman with a rough marriage and feelings for another man; Jimmy (John Randy Hoole), the squeaky-clean soda jerk; and Wray (Elliot Wimbush), the stranger. Using Jimmy as a sounding board, the characters spend an hour revealing their struggles against the emptiness and routine of life. Their revelations culminate (based on some racist remarks Gil makes) in an explosive confrontation between Gil and Wray.
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This crucial difference gives The Night Cafe some dramatic tension, which helps sustain it for nearly an hour. The other characters in the play, unfortunately, aren’t of much dramatic interest; there’s no particular reason to see this moment in their lives as opposed to any other.
