‘Clyde’s’ closes out Manoa Valley Theatre season, with a perfect sandwich

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Manoa Valley Theatre is wrapping up its season this week with a play that’s equal parts funny, heartfelt and inspiring.

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Jonathan Beck, who plays Montrellous in “Clyde’s” and, in real life, is also a U.S. Navy executive chef, joined us on HNN’S Sunrise Weekends to talk about their production running July 16 – 26 and showed us the perfect sandwich.

“When we think of the perfect sandwich, I think about its components and sandwiches are unique the way humans are. We have all kinds of emotions: love, hate, despair, fear, faith. So, the sandwiches are a reflection of ourselves,” Beck said, referring to their layers.

Created by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and directed by Jeanné Wynne Herring, the show is set in a truck-stop sandwich shop where a formerly incarcerated kitchen staff gets a shot at redemption.

Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them down, the staff learns to reclaim their lives, find purpose, and dare to dream all through a shared quest to create the perfect sandwich.

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“My character is seen as a mentor who is self-sacrificial and self-giving to those around him. And when he is going through this transition and guiding those around him, he enables their ability to become better than themselves,” Beck said.

Clydes was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2022, including Best New Play.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m.

There will be a special matinee performance on Saturday, July 25 at 3 p.m.

Doors open 30 minutes prior to each performance, and no outside food or drink is permitted.

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Tickets range from $25 to $47

To learn more, visit online or call (808) 988-6131.