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Committed to Hilarity
By Abby Freedman
David Scully in Fully Committed, playing through late July at ACT Theatre. Gregory White photo. |
When is schizophrenia an art? Why, when it's David Scully in the one-man play Fully Committed. With over 30 different characters--all coming from one man's mouth--this play is dizzying and hilarious.
The entire piece is revolves around Sam, a nice, if somewhat meek, guy. A struggling actor, Sam works in the reservations office of a fancy restaurant - the type that require reservations two months in advance (unless the customer is a VIP, of course). This particular day, though, the poor guy is stranded alone in the office and must manage the phone lines all by himself.
From the first caller to the last (and there's oh so many in between), Scully spews a madcap banter, switching back and forth between Sam and the callers. He manages to distinguish among personalities and accents amazingly well, all at a rapid-fire pace. Some of his more impressive transformations include a Japanese woman, an African American man, the upper-class women of New York and an overly exuberant, gay Californian, Bryce, from "Na-o-mi" Cambell's office.
Perhaps even more admirable than morphing into these characters is the fact that Scully manages to snap back into the role of Sam even more quickly than the audience can comprehend. The phone banter provides a need for quick turnaround and Scully proves more than capable. Viewers may find themselves still stuck on the other, often indignant characters, while Sam is already back and talking again in his earnest way.
Though the acting and writing make Fully Committed nearly impossible to improve upon, ACT Theatre managed to add one more morsel of perfection: The theater is intimate, with four small tiers of about 15 people. This setting makes Sam's experience that much more involving, as viewers can feel they are sitting in the office with him--after all, it's only about 10 feet away.
Overall, this is a wonderful piece that is as impressive as it is witty. Luckily, people have plenty of chances to go see this piece, since it runs through late July. And those who don't go see the play, ought to be committed themselves.
Fully Committed runs through July 28 at ACT Theatre. For reservations, call 292-7676 or visit www.acttheatre.org.
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