An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf

By Michael Hollinger
A regional premiere!

April 21st – May 7th, 2011

On one hot July night in 1961, the staff of the Café du Grand Boeuf awaits the imminent arrival of Victor, the Café's owner and sole patron. But when Monsieur returns from the bullfights in Madrid, he brings with him news that sends his adoring staff into a race to save their jobs….and their master’s life. A "comic tragedy in seven courses" celebrating the joys of cooking, sex, bullfighting and the collected works of Ernest Hemingway.

“Without ever sacrificing the prevailing zaniness of the situation, [Hollinger] flavors it all with enough sadness about dashed hopes and inertia to make this a menu filled with food for thought as well as laughter.” —CurtainUp

"An absurdist tragicomedy…that manages to pay homage to Hemingway and Beckett in an…often hilarious existential romp." —Boston Globe

Producing Ensemble Director’s Comments: This play is a wonderful combination of love and laughter and is sure to send audiences to the door with a serious appetite. Hollinger is currently one of the most popular American playwrights and we are hopeful that this production will mark the beginning of an exciting relationship between BETC and this fantastic writer.

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