It’s two days out from the first preview of COFFEE DATE on the Main Stage at the Broadwater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival and I’m filled with so much.
Nerves. Excitement. Joy. Gratitude. All of it at once.
Last August the seed of this play was planted while I was sitting in an Indian restaurant in Edinburgh, Scotland. Two women at the table next to me were watching videos loudly on their phones, passing them back and forth having the best time. I was grumpy after three terrible shows at the Fringe, drenched in sweat on one of the hottest days the city had seen in years and hungry. Hangry, if we’re being honest.
I wanted to say something. But I’m not an insane person and I knew how fragile I was in that moment. This was a me problem.
But then I played it out in my head. What if I did say something? What would they say back? It dawned on me: their argument for why they should be able to play videos at dinner was stronger than mine.
The idea percolated. A meet cute in a cafe. A guy complaining to a woman about her phone. Instead of being defensive, she’s curious about why he’s acting the way he is. A connection forms. He opens up, apologizes, shows some vulnerability. They agree to meet again under better circumstances.
That’s not what COFFEE DATE is. But it’s where it began. Two souls meeting under unusual circumstances. Isn’t that what dating is these days anyway?
What surprised me most is the evolution. It began as a simple scene in a coffee shop. Over ten drafts COFFEE DATE evolved into a farcical romcom with a heart. It goes extreme at times, as I think all great plays should, but it’s grounded in a real sense of hope.
What I learned about myself along the way may be the biggest surprise of all. I’ve spent the last ten years expanding my capacity for vulnerability, finding greater curiosity in others and believing in the everlasting possibility of love. Writing this play expanded my heart in ways I didn’t know were possible. Even in a play where humor and deflection come first.
Here’s the one thing I know for certain: if you don’t risk a broken heart, you have no chance at a full one.
So many of us think we know what love is, but don’t really know how to trust or share it. Whether you’re single or partnered, happy or struggling, I hope COFFEE DATE sparks that conversation about what it means to be brave. To be vulnerable. To take a risk with your heart.
Forming an all female creative team was not a small decision. I’m a middle aged man writing about dating and while I’ve worked hard to develop self awareness, I know I have blinders. Having women shape this play provided an invaluable litmus test. Is this just a man’s perspective? Does the female experience of dating live here, too? Does it reflect the world we actually date in, or just mine? These women made this play better. It would not be what it is without them.
If you’ve got a free Sunday afternoon, come laugh. Come feel something. Come be surprised.
Tickets are going fast. Don’t wait. We open Sunday.
With Love and Gratitude,
Jonah Weiland
Seven performances in the month of June.
SHOW PAGE: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13812
INSTAGRAM PAGE: https://www.instagram.com/coffeedateplay/
