Review: FULLY COMMITTED at Irish Classical Theatre

A HILARIOUSLY BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE

Imagine a day at the office when no one else shows up but you. Well this underground office takes the reservations for an upscale Manhattan restaurant and the frenetic, frenzied and fast paced hijinks that ensue make up the delightful comedy FULLY COMMITTED playing at Irish Classical Theatre.

Sold out, fully booked, or in this case, fully committed is how this restaurant seems to run. The lone attendant, Sam, expertly played by Brian Mysliwy must cope with juggling playing 40 roles. By engaging various postures and multiple voice types, Mysliwy is fully engaged in this preposterous experiment. Author Becky Mode writes this plethora of characters so that a single actor answers multiple phone and intercoms, while basically carrying on 2 sided conversations with himself. Sam is offered bribes, threatened, and has expletives spewed at him at every angle and one believes after a day at this job, he needs to be fully committed- to an asylum!

The Herculean task of embodying each character and imbuing them with specific voices, from extreme high pitched shrieks to low pitched grumbles of both genders of varying ages is swiftly and expertly played by Mysliwy. Director Fortunato Pezzimenti has deftly guided Mysliwy through the frenzied and exasperating paces of this challenge, helping with voice instruction and vocal support, so as not to allow Mysliwy to suffer vocal damage.

The stage is equally spaced with multiple playing areas, that in addition to a rolling desk chair, allow each audience member to eaves drop on the troubled day at work Sam is having.Throughout the course of the one act play, Mode introduces us to multiple characters, from the Upper East Side socialite, to the demanding effete PR reps of diet specific celebrities, to out of towners anxious to get a reservation. Genially placing everyone on hold, Mysliwy must cope with remembering who he last put on hold while balancing private conversations with his own father. The human aspects of Sam's life come into play as we learn of his other career as a struggling actor, and his attempt to manage his personal calls while at work - and we all know how hard it is to get a family member off the phone.

Much of the comedy entails the unfair situations in which Sam is placed by his fellow staff outside of the reservation office. A bathroom mishap just as the maitre d' is trying to find a lost reservation for certain a party named Zagat is priceless. Equally as funny are Mysliwy's facial expressions as he deals with a rambling senior citizen who feels the need to discuss her surgeries for cataracts and bladder suspension while looking for an AARP discount.

Production values are high as Mysliwy and the stage management must juggle numerous phone lines, intercoms, and the Private Chef's phone . This well oiled machined is handled with perfect precision. Even the audience became exasperated watching Mysliwy try to cope with struggles of his job.

A Broadway limited run with Jesse Tyler Ferguson begins next week, but there is no need to travel. This madcap journey at Irish Classical Theatre can hold it's own in engaging audiences that are lucky enough to catch it before closing.

For Tickets Call the Box Office (716) 853-ICTC. 625 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, (716) 853-1380 or visit Irishclassical.com
Curtain Times: Thursday-Saturday Evenings 7:30 pm, Saturday Matinee 3:00 pm, Sunday Matinee 2:00 pm

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