Live and in person at Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, Ont. Playing until April 12, 2025.
www.theatreaquarius.org
Written by Becky Mode
Based on characters created by Becky Mode and Mark Setlock
Directed by Steven Gallagher
Set design by Michael Gianfrancesco
Lighting design by Steve Lucas
Sound design by Verne Good
Cast: Gavin Crawford
Welcome to Sam’s world—the hell of a trendy restaurant that is sold out (fully committed) for months with every VIP and wannabee VIP calling for a reservation immediately. Sam is the reservations person and has to field every call with politeness, calmness and finesse. He has to massage the ego of the arrogant chef whose trendy food is comprised with such stuff as lavender foam and edible dirt—think Heston Blumenthal only with charm and wild creativity.
Also, Sam has to contend with a colleague who is late for his shift so Sam has to answer the endless phone calls himself, all of which are put on hold, and answered in sequence. Then there is the snooty Maitre d’ who refuses to deal with difficult customers.
Playwright Becky Mode makes a ‘meal’ of a request for a reservation from Gwyneth Paltrow’s office for a table for 15 for this Friday, for the vegan tasting menu and they don’t like the restaurant lighting so they want to come and test softer lightbulbs to see which are acceptable for the finicky Ms. Paltrow.
In between these calls, Sam gets calls on his cell phone from his loving father, a recent widower, who hopes Sam can fly home for the Christmas holidays. It looks like he will have to work. Sam is also a struggling actor who auditions as often as he can and just needs a break and get cast in a play for his own self-respect. He needs the restaurant job for income. It’s frustrating but he’s good at it.
Becky Mode’s play was first developed at the Adirondack Theatre Festival, Glens Falls, New York in 1998. From there it had its world premiere at the Vineyard Theatre in New York City in 1999. It has been produced often because it’s a marathon of a part for any brave, energetic actor. That actor plays 40 separate parts.
In this Theatre Aquarius production of Fully Committed, Gavin Crawford gives a bravura performance. Rather than ramping up the speed to playing “frantic,” Gavin Crawford plays Sam as a calm, measured man. He treats every caller with respect giving voice to every single caller. The characters range from the snooty French Maitre d’ to the arrogant, vulgar chef, the irritating, pushy Mrs. Fishbein with her gravelly, abrasive voice, to the suave, understanding compassionate caller who is given a table only for Sam to remember that the restaurant never, ever wants anyone to give the guy a reservation. No reasons are given. Each character has their own body language, physicality, voice, mannerism and ‘size.’ The calls keep coming and Gavin Crawford segues from call to call, maneuvering around the stage with finesse. The production is beautifully directed by Steven Gallagher with nuance, careful pacing, that does subtly build when catastrophes pile up. Both Gavin Crawford and Steven Gallagher realize the endless humanity of Sam.
The production is funny, smart and beautifully designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, who has created a cluttered basement where the phone center is. The play also gives us a sense of the hectic world of a popular restaurant and makes one eager to ‘order in.’
Theatre Aquarius Presents:
Plays until April 12, 2025
Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)