Rover Dramawerks presents Lobby Hero
Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan
Directed by Carol M. Rice
Cast
Sinan Beskok
Emmanuel Turner
Nolan Spinks
Savannah Lloyd
Stage Manager Maddy Maslow
Set Designer Carol m. Rice
Scenic Artist Kasey Bush
Master Carpenter Jason Rice
Lighting Designer Kenneth Hall
Sound Designer Robbi Holman
Properties Designer Erica Remi Lorca
Costume Designer Nat Coe
Asst Costume Designer Jillian N. Baker
Light and Sound Board Operator Kenneth Hall
Patron Services Manager Kim Wickware
Program Carol M. Rice
Show Logo Matthew James Edwards
My thoughts on Lobby Hero or…a hero worth holding out for
I have been waiting since 2001 to see a production of Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero and I am happy to report that the Rover Dramawerks mounting of the play directed by Carol M. Rice lived up to my expectations. Not one of the characters looked like I imagined in my head while reading the play, but I soon realized Director Rice chose a strong and more than capable cast that kept me engrossed as I equally laughed and cringed at the events in Lonergan’s drama/very dark comedy.
The action of Lobby Hero takes place in the lobby of a Manhattan high-rise apartment building. Director Rice also designed the lobby set where the floors match the walls creating an ordinary, common place background from which the extraordinary events of the play emerge.
This is a provocative play that addresses many issues through the words and actions of its four flawed characters. There’s racism. sexism, workplace harassment, misogyny, and moral codes just to name a few of the issues that Lonergan takes on. In the play two security guards, one black and one white, and two white police officers, one female and one male. interact and betrayals, power struggles, and intimidation abound. There is not a character here that is even close to admirable, but as the story plays out, a couple characters, with warts and all, garner some admiration.
Probably the least likeable character is Bill, the ambitious cop who is well respected by the department and on his way to becoming a detective. He is a classic case of not being able to judge a book by its cover. Outwardly he is a straightforward, duty-oriented cop, but is actually a misogynistic, manipulative, and domineering philanderer, who is even having sex with the female rookie cop he is mentoring. The angelic faced Nolan Spinks is perfectly cast in this part where the exterior belies the internal truth. The talented Spinks makes Bill a smarmy, narcissistic, easy to detest character.
Savannah Lloyd is Dawn, the rookie cop. She’s a tough talker, but naive and wants to be a good cop, which makes her too trusting of the unscrupulous Bill. Dawn wants respect from the men around her and to prove her worth. I admired the way Lloyd made Dawn increasingly more vulnerable over the course of the evening, even hovering just on the edge of tears at times. Lloyd knows how to inhabit a character and her Dawn is appealing and convincing.
Emmanuel Turner is terrific as William, the hard-working African American security guard. William, despite the societal forces against him, has risen in the ranks and is now a Captain. He thrives on structure, order, and truth. He receives a major challenge when his brother asks him to lie to give him an alibi in a heinous murder case. Turner has a commanding voice and an appealing upright, athletic presence that is ideal for the character. He is also an accomplished performer whose expressive face captures William’s internal conflict over the false alibi.
Sinan Beskok is simply a marvel as the central character of Jeff, the witty, gregarious, directionless security guard who is supervised by William. Beskok has the lion’s share of the dialogue and Director Rice has him delivering the lines rapid fire. The skillful Beskok’s delivery never falters. Jeff’s interactions with Bill, William, and Dawn frame the play and the success of the play depends on the audience’s response to Jeff. The sloppy, mostly unmotivated character is not always easy to like. However, Beskok’s Jeff wins us over, and the scenes where he awkwardly flirts with and pursues Dawn are wonderfully real and comic. Beskok is going on my list of don’t miss performers.
Lobby Hero is a tough play. Mixing comedy and fairly intense drama is not an easy task and Director Rice and her cast have achieved the perfect balance. Rice also manages to create some true tension here that kept me constantly enrapt in the story. My two decade wait is over and I am so pleased with the results that I’m heading back for a second viewing.
