Tips More Than Appreciated
Quirky family-owned restaurant Jimmy’s runs a little…oddly, especially to Zoe who has never worked in customer service. She walks in hoping to be hired, but her first day is nothing like what she expects (or what long-time employee Cameron describes). Between the guy at one table flirting with her, a group of crazy frat boys acting wild in public, an old man who won’t stop telling “back in my day” stories, and the awkward fighting between a married couple in the corner, Zoe has no idea what to do. Should she stand her ground to wait for her well-deserved tip or escape while she can?!
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Elizabeth Jiede
What inspired you to write this play?
When I was a junior in high school, I had biology class with one of my best friends named Serena. At the time we barely knew each other, but every day she would come into class and complain about where she worked. She worked as a hostess at a family-owned restaurant, and she had some of the funniest public encounters with customers that I had ever heard. So I thought, "Why not write a play about it?" And the rest is history.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
Without giving too much away, I think my favorite part is the ending. All the characters have come together, and everything has descended into chaos that the audience starts to lose their minds. Although, Old Man asking Old Woman, "Where's my rib, Cheryl!?" is a pretty close second.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
With the exception of Zoe who is based on my friend Serena, a lot of the characters were inspired by funny characters I've seen on sitcoms, sketch comedy shows, or social media. I would probably go crazy if I knew the three Frat Boys in real life.
What did you try to achieve with this play?
Something to know about me is that I've always been a big fan of old-fashioned comedy. Growing up, I loved shows like I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, etc. I loved how the writers of those shows put characters the audience has come to know and love, flaws and all, in awkward, uncomfortable situations where they are forced to overcome these challenges in a hilariously relatable way. In this play, I wanted to try to recreate that same kind of comedy.
Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
I really hope you all enjoy the script! This one-act play was a passion project of mine from high school, and it has a very special place in my heart. I would be so grateful if you chose to read it :)