Written by local playwright, producer and actor Matthew Ivan Bennett, “A French Toast,” merges complex interpersonal relationships with humor to create a relatable romantic comedy. It premiers July 9 at local backyard theater, Meanwhile Park, and runs until July 19.
“The plot starts with a mom, Lucy, and a daughter, Cassie,” said Darby Mest, an actress in the show. “They’re in France because Lucy’s husband had come out as gay a couple of years ago, and they had gotten a divorce. Now, he is getting remarried to his new husband in France. The play starts after the wedding. The plot focuses on Lucy’s experience dealing with her ex-husband getting married and navigating her tumultuous relationship with Cassie, who is also gay.”
Mest, born and raised in Salt Lake City, got her Bachelor of Arts in Theater Studies from the University of Utah in 2016. Since then, she obtained a master’s in social work, and works as a mental health therapist in Holladay, Utah. Now, she is making a return to her theater roots.
“This is the first full stage production straight play since my undergrad in college,” she said. “My character’s name is Yasmin, and she’s an English Medieval Literature Studies student who is spending the summer in the south of France working at a bed and breakfast.”
Local relatability
The show was written in Utah and features many elements local viewers may relate to. “The way [Bennett] has created this, there are great moments for everyone,” said Jason Bowcutt, the director. “It takes place in the French countryside, but there’s a mother and a daughter from Utah, so it will feel very familiar.”
Mest said the piece was written for people who understand both Utah’s culture and its queer subculture. “Lucy’s character is Mormon. She is grappling with the fact that her now ex-husband and daughter are both gay,” Mest said. “She’s trying to deal with being heartbroken and questioning her own belief systems throughout the play.”
Mest said she wants viewers to feel a connection to the plot and its characters, just as she feels a connection with her role. “I hope audiences laugh and I hope they feel some relatability to the characters,” she said. “The interpersonal relationship struggles [the characters] have are really something anybody could connect with.”
Meanwhile Park’s unique environment
The chance to perform in or attend a show at Meanwhile Park is a unique and welcoming opportunity. According to its website, the venue is “a small, urban backyard in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Park was designed to be a place for friends and community to gather, share, and laugh.”
Bowcutt said he appreciates its unique environment. “You arrive, and you walk down the driveway to the garage, take a left and you enter the space. Immediately you find a seat [and] you get some food and a drink,” he said. “It’s just lovely as it starts to get into the sunset time frame.”
The tight seating and intimate, outdoor setting of Meanwhile Park create the perfect environment for audiences to engage with one another, which is exactly what Bowcutt wants. “The experience includes the play, but the experience starts before the play begins,” he said. “People are tightly in the space, so you can’t really avoid getting to know the people around you. […] The time that’s allotted for conversation is a really important part of what has been created.”
