In Daphne’s Dive, a beloved northern Philly dive bar, outsiders congregate. They knock back shots and swig beers as they prepare for a protest, dream up their next painting, plan their next job, or complain about their neighbors. Under a string of Puerto Rican flags and a taxidermied deer head draped with garland, the patrons become a sort of found family.
But families can carry a lot of baggage, and this found family packs the bar so full with theirs that a 110-minute show is not nearly enough time to satisfyingly tap their depths.
“Daphne’s Dive” was written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, the same playwright who wrote the book for “In the Heights” and won a Pulitzer for her play “Water by the Spoonful.” Hudes penned this play as part of Cleveland Play House’s New Grounds Theater Festival, and the work helped name her as the inaugural recipient of the Roe Green Award. The work is receiving its official Cleveland premiere at Dobama Theatre under the direction of Juliana Frey-Méndez.
The show follows a colorful cast of characters. There’s Daphne, a no-nonsense bartender who is maternal toward her customers, chiding and caring for them in equal measure. One of her regulars is Pablo, a struggling artist who paints still life portraits of trash. There’s Jenn, an ultra liberal performance activist who encourages her friends to join her at dance-ins and protests, and subsequently, bail her out of jail. A quieter presence is that of Rey, a steady but friendly motorcyclist who drifts between places and jobs. He sometimes picks up work with Acosta, an ambitious and savvy businessman. Acosta is married to a strong-willed and luxurious Inez, who is also Daphne’s older sister.
While Inez is Daphne’s only blood relative, the patrons of the bar are an amiable sort who are quick to adopt any lost or troubled soul into their group. So when eleven-year-old Ruby is found in the alley behind the bar after hiding from the authorities who just arrested her parents, it’s no surprise that Daphne and her crew make Ruby one of their own.
“Daphne’s Dive” takes place over the course of 18 years, using Ruby’s ages to mark the progression of time. At ages 11, 15, 20, 25 and 29, the audience is given a glimpse into how the characters have changed; there are new jobs, relationships and successes, but there are also new vices, traumas and drama. All of the individuals are richly imagined, and they all have storied histories, but 18 years examined in under two hours is not enough time to plumb the depths of their characters in a satisfactory manner.
Many of the characters have suffered from trauma or abuse, be it addiction, adultery, sexual assault, suicide, domestic violence–and the list goes on. This is not to say that this is an unrealistic reality, but the script touches on so many different topics–and does so with such rapidity–that it can feel as if it’s flitting through a checklist rather than giving these heavy topics the time, exploration and breathing room they deserve.
Playwright Hudes’s dialogue is poetic to a fault. The descriptions and metaphors and anecdotes that characters use to describe their memories and feelings are beautifully constructed. It’s a masterclass in the literary advice to “show, not tell.” Were it in a novel, it would be fawned over, but as spoken dialogue in what is meant to be a realistic play, it can feel superfluous and ultimately unrealistic.
Although the source material never quite filled my cup, Dobama’s cast and creatives are deserving of praise.
As a whole, the patrons and proprietor of Daphne’s Dive are lovable, and this is due in no small part to the enjoyable cast. Trinidad Snider brings a quiet strength and resilience to the big-hearted Daphne. As Ruby, Roxana Bell undergoes the greatest metamorphosis between scenes as she believably portrays her character’s progression from adolescence to maturity, not holding back on all the uncomfortable bits that occur in between.
Playing the large personality of Inez with scene-stealing presence is a magnetic Mónica A. Cerpa Zúñiga. The show procures chuckles throughout, but most are drawn from Cerpa Zúñiga’s delivery. While Acosta’s behavior isn’t always agreeable, it’s difficult to dislike Fabio Polanco, who plays the activist turned businessman turned politician with energy and charisma.
A kindly Ricky Ortega plays Pablo, and while his agreeableness is enjoyable, his sudden eruption of passion during a heated moment is most memorable. Darryl Tatum is a calm and even-keeled Rey. As free-spirited Jenn, Katie Simón Atkinson saunters and dances with simmering energy.
Cameron Michalak’s set design of Daphne’s Dive is so realistic, you’d believe that you could actually pull out one of the mismatched barstools and order a drink from the list of drafts on the menu. The details placed into the set dressing, from the handwritten notes and old holiday decor to the dollars and framed family photos tacked onto the wall, help sell the bar experience. This is supplemented by the subtle but successful sound (Angie Hayes), lighting (Jeremy Paul) and costume (Tesia Dugan Benson) designs. Projected above the set are Spanish supertitles–an exciting addition for Dobama’s upcoming season.
Bars are generous locales for character discovery and development–just think of how many sitcoms utilize the sticky-floored settings. But those kinds of stories unfold episodically, with ample time for exploration. In the case of “Daphne’s Dive,” our dive into these characters is too shallow for the depths they promise.
“Daphne’s Dive” runs through Oct. 18, 2026, at Dobama Theatre, 2340 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights. Visit www.dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396 for tickets, $28-49.
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