Number Twelve
glassy-eyed management consultant than a hard-bitten migrant from the Delta. A place like Fado, on the other hand, affords the white American thrill-seeker an opportunity to wallow in maudlin sentimentality and exuIt in the illicit passions of a subaltern minority without embarrassing reminders of his own place in historythat is to say, without thinking about race. Ireland and lrishness fit such a need perfectly. Not only for the more than forty million Americans who claim at least a wee bit of lrish blood, but for Celtophiles who see the Emerald Isle and its people as embodiments of old-fashioned clannishness and underdog pluck. Irishness certainly is a desirabie commodity. Once content to be Irish only on St. Patrick's Day, with all its antics, speechifying, and moronic uses ofthe color green, Americans-white ones, anyway-now demand more high-minded representations of the Gael. The culture industry has obliged. Michael Flatley has danced, live and on video with prerecorded taps, into the he arts of millions in the bombastic "Lord of the Dance." The New Age Celtic strains ofthe various Titanic soundtracks have served as background music for dinner parties co ast to coast. Audiences have adored Edward Burns as the sexy bohemian with a heart offamily values in The Brothers McMullen, and cried along with Matt Damon's sexy, two-fisted supergenius in Good Wilt Hunting. Frank McCourt's memoir ofhunger in New York and Ireland, Angela's Ashes, won a Pulitzer and prompted an ill-considered second act by his brother Malachy. More is on the way: A sequel to Angela's Ashes and a film treatment are in the works. Marie Antoinette and her attendants played at being peasants; bored nineteenth century English gentlemen idealized the sensuousness ofItaly; lrishness sells to Americans because it represents authenticity and tradition in an often depressingly transient and hollow culture. Religion and faith are untroubled parts of "Irish" lives. Family bonds are strong. Neighbors knowand help each other. Work is valued but so is play. Song and dance are in their blood-you saw how those paddies got down in the Titanic's steerage! Good conversation and a sly, authority-tweaking humor spring naturally from their lips. This perception is nothing new: It was part of the vision of nineteenth
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Grating lo the Oldies !;xcerpts from "!;d Oebevic'5 Cos~ume and Charader Guide." At ~d Debevic's we're proud ta say that we were one of the first restaurants ta incorporate our special brand of entertainment into the dining experience. Since we opened our first restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona in 1984, many other restaurants have
come Ăślong ta offer things like the opportunity ta see (but not ta touch) various artifacts used in Hollywood motion pictures, the chance ta di ne in an artificial rain
forest, and same will alter a glimpse at a guitar once used bya legend of rock musie. Although these are all interesting, we offer something that they do not. E:d Debevic' s is Live entertainment. Our customers have come to know us by such names as "the place where the servers dance on the counter" or "the place with the funny waitresses." It is the incorporation of these elements that has made ~d's successful and wil I ensure our success into the twenty first century. Being chosen as a cast member at E:d Debevic' s means that we believe that you have the ability to be an important part of our continued success. [TJhe wait staff at Ed's is a breed apart. Clad in vintage clothing and costumes, they look and act the part of greasers, nerds, housewives and mechanics, Just to menĂźon a few. As you read this manual, you wdl find ideas that you can use to build your own, special character from the ground up. Ir you find that you need same help, don't hesitate to talk to your General Manager or to me, the ~ntertainment Director. Alter all, that's what we're here for ... [Als front of the house employees at Ed Debevic's, we are the souree of entertainment for our guests. If a joke is made, it should be on us (or rather, our characters). We should never put a guest in the position ofbeing a souree of entertainment ror us or for the other guests. As a cast member it is essential that you remember the reason you're here. In a performance