‘Business Ideas’: A Charming Comedy Exploring Work and Ambition in a Cozy Café

Each late spring, the Wild Project theater on East Third Street in Manhattan becomes a hub of lively anticipation, as theatergoers gather inside and spill onto the sidewalk awaiting the start of Clubbed Thumb’s esteemed Summerworks festival, a beloved showcase of new and innovative plays.

Launching this year’s lineup is Milo Cramer’s “Business Ideas,” a sharply observed comedy that fits perfectly within the Summerworks tradition. Featuring a talented cast and a succinct runtime, the play is set in a welcoming café characterized by soft cream tones, large windows, and shelves adorned with potted plants—a set designed by Emmie Finckel that invites audiences into the world of the story.

Patty (portrayed by Brittany Bradford) is the weary, underpaid barista navigating the daily grind of this café. For her, the job is a grueling six-day ordeal filled with demanding customers, whose only interest to Patty is their professions.

Mary Wiseman takes on the various customers that cross Patty’s path, transforming into vivid characters that include the Slowww Customer, a kindergarten teacher; the Anxious Customer, a therapist; the Apologizing Customer, an administrative assistant; and the Hurried Customer, whose flashy dress contrasts humorously with her important occupation. These dynamic portrayals, complemented by Avery Reed’s costume design, bring energy and humor to the production under the direction of Laura Dupper.

Wiseman also embodies the café’s unpleasant owner, channeling a tone reminiscent of Madeline Kahn while reading aloud a series of harsh online customer complaints about Patty. The owner insists, “Every single Yelp review has to be perfect from now on.”

Patty responds with a touch of realism: “That’s impossible. That’s like a fairy-tale task. Like weave straw into gold.”

Meanwhile, in a corner of the café occupying two tables without having made a purchase, the recently dismissed Georgina (Annie McNamara) and her awkward teenage daughter Lisa (Laura Scott Cary) brainstorm desperately for a business concept capable of instantly improving their family’s financial situation. Their growing desperation leads them to consider schemes that challenge conventional morality.