Walking into Dive Buddies, I genuinely had no idea what to expect, and that sense of mystery made for an intriguing start. The set immediately drew me in, creating an immersive environment that helped establish the world of the play before a single word was spoken.

Renee and Tim were wonderful scene partners, sharing a natural chemistry that made their interactions feel authentic and engaging. Their performances kept me invested, even as I found myself trying to piece together the story.

At times, it felt like the audience had been dropped into the middle of an ongoing conversation. While that approach isn’t necessarily a drawback, it did mean the show had a lot of narrative ground to cover before arriving at the heart of why it’s called Dive Buddies. As the story unfolded, I found some of the character development to fit a gender stigma of wishy-washy, kinda crazy lady and man who blames her for the root of all the problems.

Great work from Mike Rice & Co. To anyone who has ever been in an emotionally volatile situation, this show will likely resonate.

There are difficult moments in the show, although they are ultimately necessary to telling this story of a dysfunctional relationship. What we bury will eventually rise to the surface.

At last! This tight 50-minute piece is a well written two-hander that starts as a friendly booty call that then (d)evolves into an emotional cage match. Tim Ahlenius and Renee Morrison totally sell the mutual attraction that then curdles into an accusatory fest. Their performances CRACKLE. The set is elaborate for a Fringe piece and that is a unexpected delight. Kudos to Scott Cordes who has always been a favorite actor of mine over the years and I’m thrilled he took the director’s chair here.