Kenneth Lonergan's hit play, Lobby Hero, made its impressive Milwaukee debut on Valentine's Day. Audiences had been anticipating the production's arrival for months, based on the strength of the play's positive reaction in New York and London. Also fueling enthusiasm was a popular production of Lobby Hero that just ended its run in Madison, Wis. Thankfully, the play lives up to its hype. The opening night audience clearly enjoyed the clever wordplay and sly sight gags that give Lobby Hero its zany, contemporary twist.
The play focuses on the life of a young, awkward, midnight security guard. Keenly yearning for his independence and searching for a more meaningful career, Jeff, the guard, confides in his boss, William. Slightly older and far savvier than Jeff, William becomes a mentor to his employee. While Jeff appreciates William's encouragement, he also resents William's holier-than-thou attitude. The relationship between these two characters is mirrored in another mentoring relationship, this time between two police officers. Bill is the veteran cop, and he has more than a professional interest in his young, attractive, partner, a rookie cop named Dawn. The physical characteristics of these two actors is ideal: Bill is a tall, brawny guy, while Dawn is so diminutive she seems dwarfed by her police officer's outfit.
Lonergan, the playwright, has a keen ear for dialogue. He ably creates the mindless, late-night conversations between Jeff and William, and also the clipped, manly comments uttered by the officers. Eventually, the four characters are bound together in a dilemma that only Jeff is able to resolve. He does this in his typically clumsy fashion, which by now has become somewhat endearing.
Artistic director Montgomery Davis expertly leads the characters to this climactic moment. It is a satisfying crescendo to a seemingly ordinary chain of events. Lonergan further twists our expectations by making Jeff a less-sympathetic character than we usually associate with the term "hero."
All four actors are certainly up to the task, but the play clearly belongs to Gerard Neugent as Jeff. Despite the play's contemporary tone, Neugent exudes the aura of a classic comedian, at times reminiscent of a young Dick van Dyke. This key role places a heavy weight on such a young actor, but Neugent handles his assignment with ease. His low-key comic delivery is perfectly balanced with his love interest, the shy, sensitive Dawn. However, Dawn is distracted by problems of her own. She is thrust into a love-hate with her partner that she cannot understand, much less handle in a mature way. She is clearly very scared of the consequences roughly spelled out by her partner, Bill.
As the older, wiser cop, Jeremy Holm does more than look the part. He must master the good cop/corrupt cop balance successfully, and Holm is superb at this juggling act. As William, the hard-nosed security supervisor, Patrick Sims is given less latitude in exploring his character's range. He seems to struggle with his character's various facets, and the result is a bit muddled.
Lobby Hero benefits from production values that are a clear step up for Chamber Theater. The set, a high-rise Manhattan apartment building, is a dream. Lighting and costumes are up to par, also. In sum, Lobby Hero may not be a life-changing theatrical experience, but it's fun to see how the events unfold, and how these very ordinary characters react to them in unexpected ways.
