When Union Arts Center partnered with Ballard’s Majestic Bay Theatres for a screening of Love Jones earlier this month, it offered a hint at what inspired playwright Douglas Lyons to write Table 17, the romantic comedy opening in Seattle this week.

The 1997 film, starring Nia Long and Larenz Tate, follows two people trying to figure out what they mean to each other. In Lyons’ play, Jada and Dallas are dealing with a similar question, though they have a little more history. The two were engaged before breaking up. Two years later, they return to their favorite restaurant for what is supposed to be a casual dinner.

Of course, it doesn’t quite go that way. Old feelings surface, and their waiter, River, gets involved in ways that complicate the evening.

Lyons, a two-time Emmy nominee, has cited Love Jones, along with Love & Basketball and Poetic Justice, as influences. Those films found an audience in the 1990s and early 2000s, and Lyons brings some of that same vibe to Table 17.

Shermona Mitchell directs the Union Arts production, with Bria Samoné Henderson as Jada, Brandon JonesMooney as Dallas and Lamar Legend as River. The show runs 90 minutes without an intermission.

For anyone looking for a little rom-com fun, Table 17 looks like a good bet.

Table 17 runs through Nov. 15 at Union Arts Center, 700 Union St. A meet-the-playwright event and cast talkback are scheduled for the Oct. 30 performance. Visit here for additional show information and tickets.