Tony Borden’s Dead Lunch, or Who Prays for Bad Weather?, a character-driven, slice-of-life play at the New York International Fringe Festival, explores working-class society within the setting of a failing restaurant. In the first act, we see what happens the dining room; Act Two brings us behind kitchen (and bathroom) doors.

Borden, who wrote and directed the piece, successfully shapes characters that are multi-layered, realistic, identifiable and a lot of fun to get to know; he has created an environment which nurtures nearly the entire range of human emotion and human interaction. We meet the “nice” and hopeful actress/waitress who believes in people’s innate goodness (Haley Ganis) and her fellow waitress Rosie (Isa Frias), whose street-smarts and sassy attitude often make it difficult for her to suffer fools gladly -- the fools being just about everyone. Matt McAllister plays their stress-ridden and acerbic boss, Graham, with great honesty and comedic timing. Jeff Solomon, Leah Alfieri, Adam Pagdon and Maxwell Moran step up to plate to play the many other characters.

Dead Lunch, or Who Prays for Bad Weather? is a fun, light and honest play that studies humankind without taking itself too seriously. There are definite moments of awkwardness, but this inelegance feels simpatico to how human beings are with and around each other.  The characters are well fleshed-out, though a couple of the actors need to slow down and listen to their scene partners before responding, this being the only noticeable flaw in what is otherwise a delightful way to spend time at the theatre.