Jeff is a “fuck up.” Kicked out of the Navy and in debt, he’s living in one room that he rents from his brother. For the last nine months, he’s been working as a security guard (not a doorman, which he clearly explains). He’s funny and garrulous and working the graveyard shift from 12-8 am. William, his boss (Brian Tyree Henry of TV’s “Atlanta”), calls Jeff a “joker.” He’s also the central character in the revival of Lobby Hero by Ken Lonergan at the Helen Hayes Theater. Jeff is somewhat lonely, so when anyone else shows up, he talks almost nonstop. Anxious to make connections, Jeff insinuates himself into other peoples’ lives. William has an ethical dilemma. Should he provide the alibi for his brother who may have committed a horrific crime? Jeff lends a willing ear and William confides in him about his quandary. Later, whether it’s to impress the young female probationary cop or to ease his own conscience, Jeff reveals some of what’s been shared with him in confidence. He also lets the cop, Dawn, know that her partner Bill has been upstairs in the building spending time with a prostitute. Trip Cullman deftly directs the revival of this prize-winning play. Lonergan’s work is skillfully written and understated with well-drawn characters. The playwright quickly draws a picture of the four main characters and provides subtle racial commentary when the two guards are discussing a murder. If the victim is white, Jeff notes, the article in the paper will be on the front page; if she’s black, it will be further back. Later we are told that the story is on page 20. As Jeff, Michael Cera begins slowly but eventually makes the role his own, speaking almost non-stop and earnestly. Known primarily for his many movie and TV roles (“Arrested Development,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Juno”) he is boyish and gangly, with the nebbish quality of Jesse Eisenberg. He tries hard to become likable and ingratiating and he is successful. Like Michael, we begrudgingly begin to like him. Even more enjoyable is Chris Evan (“Captain America”—yes, that Captain America!) as the swaggering, manipulative policemen Bill. Sporting a mustache and a New York accent, Evan exudes cockiness and arrogance. When his partner threatens to turn him in for visiting his ‘friend” upstairs during his shift, he so smoothly turns on the charm and the lies that he almost gets away with it. He charms us despite his sordidness. Making her Broadway debut, British actress Bel Powley plays Dawn, the young cop who is fighting to be accepted by her peers as a policewoman. Diminutive, Powley shouts most of her lines, as if to make up for her size and to suggest NY toughness. Much of the play is funny until Jeff begins to reveal other peoples’ secrets and the audience sits there cringing. We know exactly what he will do yet hope he won’t. Although the play ends with a lot up in the air (Dawn’s job, Bill’s promotion, William’s brother), the last scene suggests a touch of hope. The son of a Naval hero, Jeff yearns to make a difference. By the end, he must learn that a hero puts himself at risk, not others.
