Review: LOBBY HERO at Penfield Players

To what extent may you lie in an effort to protect someone you care for? What is your responsibility to speak up when you witness an abuse of power? Are villainous people also capable of kindness? These are some of the weighty questions asked by Kenny Lonergan’s “Lobby Hero”, currently being brought to life by the Penfield Players.  

“Lobby Hero” was written by Kenneth Lonergan and premiered off-Broadway in 2001, with a recent Broadway revival in 2018 starring Michael Cera, Brian Tyree Henry, and Chris Evans. The synopsis of “Lobby Hero” is a simple one: Four New Yorkers involved in a murder investigation - a slacker security guard (Noah McMullin) in a Manhattan apartment building, his by-the-book boss (Nathaniel Dudley), a rookie cop (Jaimee Schelkun) and her macho partner (Brian K. Tan) - face moral and ethical dilemmas that explore issues of racism and sexism, and whether it's ever honorable to do the wrong thing for the right reason.

There’s much to love about Penfield Players’ production of “Lobby Hero.” The performers, as well as director Jacqueline Moe, really lean-in to a story that is challenging and traverses in subject matter not typically seen on a community theatre stage. Among the show’s small four-person cast, Noah McMullin stands apart, whose Jeff is affable and buffoonish, but also clearly grappling with his role in this entangled mess of police brutality, workplace sexism, power dynamics, and racism. McMullin hits all the comedic beats required by the character, but also highlights Jeff’s struggles and moral quandaries with thoughtfulness and nuance; it’s an excellent performance.

Penfield Players’ production of “Lobby Hero” is thought-provoking and complex, a play that both entertains and asks the audience to interrogate large societal issues. It’s playing until Saturday, November 11th, for tickets and more information click here.

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