NEW YORK—Safety and comfort can be found in everyday routines. Yet when the need to maintain consistency becomes all-consuming, changing it may take drastic measures. Meghan Kennedy’s ordinary but ultimately riveting drama “The Counter,” presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company at the Laura Pels Theatre, tells the story of two people who face such a choice.
For the past two years, Katie (Susannah Flood) has been working as a waitress at a diner in a small town in the wilds of far Upstate New York. For just about as long, her first customer every morning is Paul (Anthony Edwards), a much respected, former local firefighter who comes in for a cup of coffee. He sits down at the counter and talks about the lack of sleep from the night before. In response, Katie gently offers suggestions, such as therapy or yoga, while noting how averaging four hours of sleep per night isn’t healthy.
