Can I Get You Anything Else?

Diane Dwyer

Can I Get You Anything Else? is a performance exploring the prescribed interactions of strangers, using only the language of a waitress. The artist wears a classic diner uniform with a magnifying glass in front of her mouth. She engages the public in dialogue, hoping to communicate.

Can i get you anything else?
Wheat, white, or rye?
Onion rings are a dollar extra.
How would you like that cooked?
Straight up, or on the rocks?
How is everything?
I’m sorry; we are out of the haddock.
Is everything alright?

Most interaction between strangers revolves around commerce—the exchange of money for goods and services. We follow understood directions and rules that guide our behavior, yet within limited parameters, moments of intimacy might occur.