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Reviewed by Luke Dodge
“Dive Buddies” understands that some relationships never really end. They simply sit underwater, waiting for someone brave enough to dive back in.
David (Tim Alhenius) and Lacey (Renee Morrison) reunite 18 months after a disastrous trip to Mexico shattered their relationship. What begins as flirtation and playful pillow talk gradually dredges up old resentments, lingering affection, and the question of whether forgiveness is ever enough when two people hold on to the same anchor.
The production shines whenever it lets its characters simply exist together. Mike Rice’s dialogue with direction from Scott Cordes feels disarmingly natural, capturing the rhythms of two people who know each other intimately. Alhenius and Morrison create remarkable chemistry, selling every shared laugh, awkward silence, and familiar jab until it becomes impossible not to believe they were once lovers and remain old friends. Setting the story around two people in their 50s also gives the conversations a perspective rarely explored onstage, particularly around loneliness, regret, and the realities of starting over.
That authenticity makes the play’s stumbles as it digs into the emotional wreckage stand out even more. The emotional turns between lighthearted banter and painful memories arrive so abruptly that the heavier conversations never quite have time to breathe. Rather than feeling woven into the relationship, the darker revelations sometimes land like separate scenes sharing the same bedroom. Given more room to linger and intertwine with the warmth the couple shares, those wounds could carry even greater weight.
Even so, “Dive Buddies” leaves a lasting impression because its heart remains firmly with its characters instead of its plot. Watching two imperfect people search for connection after years of hurt is both recognizable and moving. The result is a thoughtful relationship drama that comes tantalizingly close to something exceptional.
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