From the time that veteran Valley funnyman Bob Sorenson enters down the spiral staircase into the basement that will be his main character's personal Inferno, he is in control of the stage. During the intermissionless 90-minute ride through 40 characters, Sorenson uses his quick mind, limber body, and distinctive voice to become the staff, patrons, and wannabes of a flavor-of-the-moment Manhattan restaurant. Director David Ira Goldstein has wisely tapped Sorenson knowing that his comedic gifts are well suited for this type of breakneck pacing, having proven himself time and again, especially with the multiple characters he created for Arizona Theatre Company's The Mystery of Irma Vep a few seasons back. Together, they have amalgamated a super fast paced comic piece that contains its share of surprises and earnest moments.
Ordinarily, one-man shows are not known for their rising action or dramatic conflict, but Becky Mode's Off Broadway success Fully Committed finds a way to draw us into the life of Sam Peliczowski, a struggling actor who is moonlighting as a reservation booker for a pretentious restaurant. Having the one actor perform not only Sam, but all of the callers attempting to bully, cajole, or bribe their way into the restaurant, Mode draws us into Sam's personal life and balances it with intrigues within and without that allow us to feel empathy for Sam. Will he get a second callback from Lincoln Center? Will he ever get his lunch? Will he buckle down and do the unthinkable job he's hurriedly requested to do? Will he be able to get Christmas off? All of these questions and more draw us into Mode's wild ride.
Sorenson's ability to switch gears quickly and fluidly is highlighted. The piece requires the type of finger snap about-faces that are beyond concentration and become more about reflex. Sam answers each call, and he deftly becomes the characters on the other end of the phone. Pausing to think would slow the pace down, eventually causing it to drag. Instead, Sorenson blazes through with what must be an innate sense of what's to come next, so precisely rehearsed by Goldstein that actions come before thoughts. It takes a little while to get used to the style of switching between characters for which the script calls, but once the audience understands the parameters of the show, the evening progresses nicely.
That doesn't mean the evening is all about driving forward. There are slower moments that allow the audience to recover from earlier hilarity. It is in these moments that Sorenson shows his wide comedic range, for he can draw laughs from even the smallest bits of business. Every once in awhile, Goldstein allows Sorenson to go a bit too far with some double and triple takes, but these are minor compared to the great payoffs of the remainder of the sight and vocal gags.
James Noone's scenic design is effective, even if it does little to evoke an Upper East Side bistro basement. By skewing the ceiling and draping the scene with garish Christmas and Hanukah ornaments, the set becomes its own comedic commentary. Rick Paulsen's lighting works well, and Kish Finnegan's costume design is what it needs to be. Kudos go to Brian Jerome Peterson's difficult but very well handled sound design, and Dianne J. Winslow's dialect coaching.
Sorenson's acting calisthenics and Goldstein's accurate pacing and blocking are the highlights for this very enjoyable show. Come prepared to be dazzled, and to have your cheeks and sides ache as you leave.
Production Details:
Fully Committed by Becky Mode
Arizona Theatre Company
The
Herberger Theater Center Main Stage, Phoenix (For a map to location, click this
link)
(602) 256-6995
March 30th - April 14th, 2002