Review: The Receptionist (Steep Theatre)

By Chicagotheaterbeat @chitheaterbeat

  
  
The Receptionist 

Written by Adam Bock  
Directed by Joanie Schultz 
at Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn (map)
thru May 19  |  tickets: $20-$22   |  more info
  
Check for half-price tickets 
  
  
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A typical day at the office, steeped in the macabre

     

  

Steep Theatre Company presents

  

The Receptionist

Review by Keith Glab

Many theater patrons look forward to a night of escapism after a mundane day at the office. Instead of offering an escape, The Receptionist holds a mirror to the banal day-to-day office activities that so many endure without even thinking about them. But Adam Bock’s comedy offers a dark twist after revealing the nefarious nature of what goes on in the Central Office.

Pre-show elevator music gives way to a brief dramatic monolog from Mr. Raymond (Peter Esposito) before some excruciatingly discordant electronica jars us into the central action of the play. In a typical small office setting, receptionist Beverly (Cheryl Roy) monotonously sends callers to the voicemails of the other two office employees. She manages to fit in plenty of gossip, both with her friends and family via phone and with Lorraine (Caroline Neff) in the office. The arrival of Martin Dart (Peter Moore) from the Central Office seems harmless enough at first, but when Mr. Raymond enters, a slow reveal of the unnamed company’s true business begins.

Cheryl Roy drives the play even more so than a receptionist drives an office. She gives Beverly great charm and makes the most insignificant activities and topics somewhat interesting to watch and to hear about. I’m not on the edge of my seat when I learn that Beverly’s husband spent too much money on a teacup, but I’m more rapt than I probably should be given the subject matter. Handed some pretty awful lines, Roy is able to own them and make many of them funny, though some of the material still falls flat for those who have little experience in an office setting.

Neff’s Lorraine mostly reacts to Beverly and Mr. Dart rather than establish herself as a protagonist. The flawed character never elicits much sympathy, coming across as weak and self-centered. (Perhaps this is a device designed to make Beverly more sympathetic by comparison.) Moore shows good instincts as Mr. Dart, so it’s a pity that the staging treats us to the back of his head more than anything else. Esposito’s portrayal of Mr. Raymond is even more understated than what the script calls for; he’s occasionally so soft that he does not project enough for the theater space.

Most of this 75-minute piece is spent establishing the characters of Beverly and Lorraine and their pedestrian workdays. Like a Shakespearean sonnet, by the time the peripeteia arrives, there is little space left for a proper conclusion. While some ambiguity can make for great theatre, The Receptionist asks the audience to fill in too many gaps. It’s certainly not necessary to know every detail of this company’s business model, but we should know something about its actual purpose.

More importantly, how much does Beverly actually understand what is happening at her workplace? There are hints that she knows far more than she lets on. If that is indeed the case, the character becomes far less sympathetic. Since her ultimate outcome, too, is only implied, it is very difficult to know how to feel about this performance.

The Receptionist has several enjoyable elements, but it’s difficult not to walk away from it slightly unsatisfied, since the main focus of the piece is the least compelling.

  

Rating: ★★½

  

  

The Receptionist continues through May 19th at Steep Theatre, 1115 W. Berwyn (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm.  Tickets are $20-$22, and are available by phone (866-811-4111) or online at OvationTix.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at SteepTheatre.com.  (Running time: 1 hour 15 minutes with no intermission)