Torie Wiggins and Nathan Neorr Photo by Ryan Kurtz

That definition sheds some light on Joelle's script. Its two characters are sanitation workers: outspoken Danny (Nathan Neorr) is a veteran of the New York Department of Sanitation; Marlowe (Torie Wiggins), a close-mouthed rookie with an Ivy League degree in art history. They're an unlikely pair, at first seemingly incompatible and then evolving into people with different perspectives and problems who actually share some painfully common ground.

Dignity first. When Danny and Marlowe talk about their jobs, they express dismay that trash collectors tend to be dismissed as garbage themselves. Over drinks they run through various terms that elevate their profession, like "refuse scientist" and "garbage relocation engineer." Their final hoity-toity definition, "garbologists," makes them laugh. But it's telling.

In a series of revelatory exchanges it becomes obvious that they have more in common, even though she's Black and highly educated (he calls her "Shakespeare") and he's distinctly blue-collar white with a proclivity for mansplaining. Marlowe does have a lot to learn, although she thinks she's well qualified; his inclination to show her the ropes grates on her close-mouthed behavior. But as they spend more time together, details emerge: he's angrily divorced and kept from his beloved, seven-year-old son by a temporary restraining order; she's alienated from her parents and is harboring some significant grief and depression that are even more profound than his circumstances. They come from different worlds and have experienced different heartbreak, but before long, their sparring opens doors to some heartfelt understanding.

Joelle offers excellent dialogue for Neorr and Wiggins, both ETC veterans. (He was an intern there two decades ago; she has starred in a remarkable array of roles over the past decade.) They make quick journeys from argumentative co-workers to more full-fledged characters, and their evolution of friendship and understanding is the very satisfying core of the show. Under D. Lynn Meyers' always steady and evocative direction, the story unfolds across a 90-minute single act.

The playwright pushes a little too hard on some coincidences in an effort to wring even more sentiment out of Danny and Marlowe's burgeoning friendship. Several turns of events are a little hard to imagine really unfolding that way, but the bottom line is that this is a comedy with a poignant undertow that we can all learn from.

ETC's modest stage has been ingeniously converted into a grungy, trash-lined New York City street, impeccably designed and detailed by Brian c. Mehring and Shannon Rae Lutz. The movement through traffic is underscored by Chris Lipstreu's lighting design. A garbage truck cab that can move and be steered while Danny and Marlowe converse is a convincing piece of onstage machinery. It's bracketed by (and occasionally coupled with) hoppers on each side of the stage into which they fling bags of trash and other detritus of the urban core.

Danny offers multiple lessons regarding the finer points of detecting what's encased in black plastic, sometimes to Marlowe's disgust or annoyance. He is something of a connoisseur of found objects, which he calls "mongo," meaning junk that can be scavenged. That includes a plaque with a singing fish and a sex toy that's the subject of a hilarious exchange.

The Garbologists earned a quick and well-deserved standing ovation on opening night. These are likable characters played by two talented actors. The story they tell with unlikely people coming to appreciate and care for one another has broader meaning. It underscores how digging into someone else's "garbage" can be a key to survival in today's world.

The Garbologists runs through October 6, 2023, at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, 1127 Vine Street, in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Cincinnati OH. For tickets and information, please visit www.ensemblecincinnati.com or call 513-421-3555.