Youth, rebellion, bullying, anger (lots of anger), romance, and an undefined active war on US soil are just a few of the subjects that fill the afternoon a dumpy suburban New Jersey burger joint named Dougal's. Philip Ettinger (Ruckus) and Tobias Segal (Marco) take center stage along with Aja Naomi King (Emma) as the unsuspecting teen workers at the joint concerned with the usual age-appropriate things when Alfredo Narcisco (Louis), a bloody man, stumbles in the front door after an apparent attack outside and a stranger (Brandon Dirden) wanders in for a burger . Where their individual emotions, suspicions, and prejudices take them is the fuel that makes the engine of this play fire on all cylinders. It's raw. It's powerful. It's not perfect.
Sometimes plays aren't all sunshine and lollipops. Due to the graphic violence, I doubt we'll be seeing this one transferring to Broadway for a commercial run any time soon, but it doesn't mean you won't be deeply moved and you might even think about the subject matter after you leave the theater. You might even recommend the play to a friend. I was. I did. I do.