drinking with oedipus

after a productive day at red hot (!) i met some friends for dinner and a show. one of my friends is in a production of oedipus rex so of course we had to go and see it. we were all impressed with the quality of the production. it's an updated adaptation -- and those are always risky -- but this one held its own. the chorus became reporters and the play was essentially set up as speeches and press conferences. very interesting. oedipus yelled a lot.

when the play was over, we took our starlet out to drinks at nearby slainte, an irish bar on the bowery. not my favorite place in the world, but a good draft list and lots of screens for watching the game one massacre. when we sat down, my friend ordered a black and tan -- that's guinness and ale or lager, a standard drink in american irish pubs (wikipedia points out that it's not commonly consumed in ireland). the snaggle-toothed waitress stared at her blankly. a black and tan, my friend said again. okay, our waitress said cautiously. my friend pointed to his black pants. black, the color, and tan, it's two beers mixed together, just tell the bartender, he'll understand. alright, she says and walks away.

two minutes later: her thickly accented question, you said black and tan right? um, yeah, what's going on here?

two minutes later: busboy approaches. you wanted a black and tan?

yes, my god, how hard is this?

the drinks arrive. no more problems.

boston begins their two out hedonistic scoring spree.

some of the cast joins us. oedipus has washed the blood from his eyes.

round two arrives without a hitch. because we order from the bartender.

later, my friend with the black pants orders a black and tan, from the waitress. should have known this wouldn't go well.

yeah, can i have a black and tan?

you want guinness?

no, a black and tan.

guinness?

black and tan.

okay, guinness.

miraculously, a black and tan arrives.

when i ask the bartender for our check, he apologizes.

do you think our waitress still has a job?

i don't mean to be cruel, but i doubt it.