Sometimes it seems that the greatest heroes come in the smallest packages, and the noblest of men are those loyal to their humble professions. Just such a hero is the star of Madison Repertory Theatre’s latest production, “Lobby Hero,” directed by C. Michael Wright.
“Lobby Hero,” by critically acclaimed writer Kenneth Lonergan, made its Wisconsin debut at the Madison Rep at the beginning of January. Lonergan is most well known for his stunning films “You Can Count On Me” and the now Golden-Globe-winning “Gangs of New York,” directed by Martin Scorsese.
Four actors make up the “Lobby Hero” cast — “four ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances.”
A rookie cop, Dawn, and her partner Bill, a legend in the police force who is only months away from getting his gold shield from the NYPD, find themselves involved in the investigation surrounding a rape and murder. William, the night supervisor at an ordinary Manhattan high-rise apartment building, finds his brother to be one of the key suspects in the case.
Dawn, romantically involved with her corrupt and married partner, finds out some disturbing news at the high-rise when she realizes that her “partner” is two-timing both her and his wife with the woman in 22J. Dawn finds herself looking to anyone for some guidance, and William goes to the only person on duty with his moral dilemma. Both turn to the comically endearing night security guard, Jeff — their “Lobby Hero.”
Blunt and charismatic, Jeff, played impeccably by Gerard Neugent, is lonely yet determined, in a “screw-up” kind of way. He dreams of a different life, of living in his very own apartment minus his current live-in brother. And he seems consistently indebted to William, his supervisor, for giving him the night security-guard job.
But all of this does not stop him from sleeping nightly at his messy desk and hitting on the night-shift rookie cop, Dawn, on a regular basis.
Neugent makes Jeff incredibly likeable, bringing out an innocence that can only be brought about by naivety. But it is a naivety that so many people in today’s society could benefit from. And when given such huge decisions to make, it is not quite clear whether or not Jeff makes the right ones. But he makes them anyway and takes it upon himself to tell the truth and stand up for his honorable intentions.
Anyone would want to know Jeff, even if he does talk your ear off or annoyingly stammers his words. He represents some of the good left in both this world and in this play.
On the other hand, Thomas Gebbia as Bill gives a wonderful interpretation of the true meaning of the word scumbag. Sometimes you just want to hit him because of his closed-mindedness and his corrupt and arrogant nature. Gebbia does a fine job of making the audience hate him, and Lonergan can be given credit for the actions and dialogue coming from this “legendary” cop, making anyone think twice about the morality of the police force.
Katheryn Phillips plays the rookie cop, Dawn, who also shares some heated scenes with Jeff and Bill. She is fiery and quick, and her performance was right on for a woman trying to make it in a man’s profession. Derrick Nelson, playing William, completed this talented cast, and his performance as a good man caught in a situation where dishonesty seems the only way out was right on. The realistic flair that all of these actors brought to this show made it easy to follow and quickly caught the audience’s attention.
Once again, the Madison Rep design team did a great job on the set. Set changes and major props did not overpower the show, with all scenes taking place in the Manhattan high-rise lobby. Scene changes were accompanied by what could be described as “hip-hop elevator music,” which also fit the mood of the show, reflecting the tension that ensued in such an ordinary setting.
This play is a generally a drama, with some comedic instances that lighten the real moral dilemmas of the story. From rape and murder to cheating and lying, the choices people make every day have a profound effect on everyone.
The clear-cut answer that so many people often stick to is not always the easiest. “Honesty is the best policy” and “it’s always better to tell the truth” become incredibly hard sentences to swallow when there are lives and futures at stake.
Lonergan’s script provokes the audience to think about what should be done when no one benefits from telling the truth. Inevitably, one of the scariest parts of life is how easily it can be turned upside down when one person opens their mouth, and the characters see themselves either succeeding or failing when making such tough decisions.
This play is very well done and will leave anyone questioning his or her own actions in such extraordinary circumstances.
“Lobby Hero” runs through this Sunday night at the Isthmus Playhouse at the Madison Civic Center. Half-price student tickets are available through the Madison Civic Center Ticket Office.
